‘Wejhati’ initiative for people of determination launched by Sharjah at GITEX 2022

How can a city help enhance accessibility for people of determination when venturing into public places? The Sharjah City of Humanitarian Services (SCHS) has risen to the challenge and launched an initiative called ‘Wejhati’ -- ‘my destination’ in English -- at GITEX 2022, aimed at benefiting people of determination, especially those suffering from autism.

The project employs Virtual Reality (VR) technology and has developed 360 degrees VR environment of real places like schools and shopping centres. People of determination can view the virtual content through the VR goggles to familiarise themselves with the environment to avoid challenging situations.

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Rabab Abdul Wahab, Head of Assistive Technology Center at SCHS, said: “Through ‘Wejhati,’ we enable people who have disabilities and social anxiety to anticipate a social setting through sensory and visual virtual content using VR headsets. People have different abilities and capacities and our focus is to find innovative ways to include them in our communities.”

Sharjah City of Humanitarian Services, an authority that is part of the Government of Sharjah, is a non-profit organization working towards changing society’s attitudes towards people and children with mental and physical disabilities, and giving them the confidence to live in an equal opportunity society.

The Government of Sharjah pavilion is located in the Arena Hall in the World Trade Center in Dubai. Its design embodies the slogan, ‘Together, Integrating People and Technology’ to provide a unique experience for visitors that ensures interaction with the displayed technologies, as well as providing an open space for discussions with partners from the UAE and all participating countries.

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