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Mideast & North Africa

Tech for Everyone: Experience Google’s new Accessibility Discovery Centre in Dubai

23 Sep, 2024

[[read-time]] min read

Madiha Sayyed
Madiha Sayyed
Co-Lead, MENA Disability Alliance, Google
Fatma Elgendy
Fatma Elgendy
Co-Lead, MENA Disability Alliance, Google
Image of a group of people smiling and facing the camera in a well lit room with Google's logo in b lue, red, yellow and green behind them. There is also a balloon that says Festival of Belonging in the background

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the first Google Accessibility Discovery Centre in the Middle East & North Africa, right here in Dubai! This Centre is a physical manifestation of Google’s mission to make the world’s information universally accessible - for everyone.

Why Accessibility Matters

At Google, we believe that equitable access to information and technology is a fundamental human right. It's about empowerment, opportunity, and connection. According to the World Health Organization, there are 30 million people living with disabilities in MENA. That's more than the population of two of the most populous capital cities in the region - Cairo and Riyadh combined!

  • Image taken from the back of a room showing an audience and two speakers in a room with black walls and screens with red frames. The screens show the names of two people: Dalia Elfiki and Dr. Mostafa Attia. At the front, the two speakers are seated - one is a man and the other is a woman.

    Dr. Mostafa Attia Fireside chat at the Accessibility Discovery Centre launch in Dubai

  • An image showing a man with blonde / greying hair gesturing to his right. He is wearing a black suit with a black shirt. Behind him is a wooden bench that features laptops and accessibility tools like a deaf alarm clock. There is also a large purple G hanging on the wall

    Christopher Patnoe, Head of EMEA Accessibility & Disability Inclusion at Google

  • An image of a blonde male wearing a black suit jacket and white t-shirt speaking on a podium with a microphone in front of him. He has his hands together as he speaks. Behind him is a screen which has his name "Anthony Nakache" and his picture

    Anthony Nakache, Google's Managing Director for the Middle East & North Africa

The Accessibility Discovery Centre: A hub for Innovation and Inclusion

The Accessibility Discovery Centre is more than just an exhibition space. It's a hub where innovation meets real impact, and technology intersects with human potential. It's a place where we can collectively explore, learn, and celebrate the transformative power of accessible design.

We invite you to visit the Centre and witness firsthand how assistive technologies by innovators of different backgrounds break down barriers and how disabilities only exist when there is stigma and people are not offered the right tools for them to excel.

  • A man stands in front of a brown bench with a computer and accessibility switch buttons including a chin switch. On his right is another wooden bench with laptops and phones. Three posters on a gray fabric-covered wall. Each poster displays the Google Accessibility Discovery Center logo and Arabic text
  • A wooden table with two laptops, a braille book for children, a deaf alarm clock and other electronic devices. A large purple letter "G" hangs in the background.
  • A computer monitor displays a soccer field with a single player. On the desk in front of the monitor are a keyboard, a joystick, a game controller with large buttons, and other assistive technology devices.
  • A table with two smartphones connected to stands. Each phone has informational posters behind it describing Google accessibility features "Guided Frame" and "Look to Speak." The posters include QR codes for more information.

ُThe Centre has three distinct areas; The Arcade which focuses on video games, mainstream technology such as deaf alarm clocks and steady spoons, and, of course, a section with some of Google’s assistive technology features in products like Chromebook and Pixel. They’re all examples of how technology, when designed with inclusivity at its heart, can help create equity for everyone.

We know that there’s always more to be done and we hope this space serves as a place for people of all walks of life to come together, innovate, inspire and build for everyone.

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