Expo 2020 opens doors to people of determination
In less than two years, Dubai will welcome the world to its doorstep for Expo 2020.
Volunteers from all walks of life will represent the emirate, and the Expo’s leadership is making sure that team will be as diverse as Dubai’s population. Salem Bawazir, 46, leads the team that hires and trains people of determination to work with Expo 2020 Dubai.
Mr Bawazir has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair.
His colleague, Emirati Ali Al Balooshi, 18, works as a trainee, welcoming visitors to Expo events. He is hearing-impaired.
The men are two of the success stories of the Expo Programme of Inclusion, which launched yesterday and calls on UAE nationals with disabilities to apply for jobs with the world fair.
The two men were part of a pilot project that began in September to offer employment to people with disabilities so they could develop skills and gain work experience.
Soon after being offered a full-time job with Expo, Mr Bawazir recruited three people with disabilities.
One of his first recruits is a visually impaired university graduate from Fujairah who will begin work at the Expo site in Dubai South next week.
“I always ask people to look at my ability, not my disability,” said Mr Bawazir, a human resources administrator with the Expo workforce and volunteer department.
“I am enjoying being at Expo 2020 because I’m able to make real decisions that matter.”
He is also part of the accessibility working group that will provide guidance and suggestions to improve access for the millions of visitors during the six-month world fair that begins in October 2020.
While Mr Bawazir communicates via email and WhatsApp, Mr Al Balooshi uses sign language and is teaching his co-workers key gestures, with plans to train other staffers.
Fatima Alloghani, head of the Expo Academy and Emiratisation, said she has seen Mr Bawazir’s confidence grow since beginning his job at the Expo.
“Salem is self-taught, articulate and a good writer, but he hesitated to speak because he thought people would not understand what he said.
“It has been a learning experience not only for him but for us as well. At presentations now, he speaks for 30 minutes nonstop,” she said.
The two men were assigned jobs based on their interests rather than filling a vacant administrative position.
“We have a four-week training programme based on understanding what they can do and what they are passionate about, instead of focusing on what they cannot do,” Ms Alloghani said.
“Instead of imposing our tasks on them, we learn with them to give us a better idea of who they are and what they want to do.”
Staff will undergo awareness sessions so they understand the need to talk to people of determination beyond communication related to work.
“The worst thing you can do is employ people with disabilities and then ignore them or not socialise with them. We need to train people to learn to work and deal with people of determination,” she said.
“We have promised an Expo for everyone so we want to make sure we give people equal opportunities during the making and preparation for the event so they can be part of the planning and decision making.”
The Expo is working with the Ministry of Community Development to reach people with disabilities.
Yesterday, the call went out from Expo 2020 to UAE citizens with disabilities to apply for jobs, internships and volunteering opportunities.
There is no set target for the number of people with disabilities the Expo plans to take on.
“Organisations and society can be more determined about empowering them. People need to put aside any fear they may have about how this experience will be,” Ms Alloghani said.
“We also need to give people with determination work that is meaningful and not merely a side job.”