Rita,

This is good news.  I know that I've been quiet recently - combination of
having a major project completing, three new large projects starting and
relocating my offices.  Although I've been quiet, I have not been inactive.

Just to keep everyone updated as to what is happening within Emirates.  We
have now established a good working group on Special Needs and what we can
do as a Company to enhance the service that we provide for Special Needs
passengers.  This has the full backing of our senior management and everyone
seems to have bought into the need to improve what we do as an industry.

As I say, I have sold this to senior management on a number of grounds.  The
first being one of establishing a reputation as a caring organisation
internationally (we already do a lot of charitable work within the local
community and one of the projects has resulted in an orphanage being built
in Thailand).  The second selling point was one of building up a great deal
of customer loyalty from special needs passengers.  The third being good
publicity.  The fourth being that the developed world is trying to integrate
special needs people into the working community and that there will be more
and more special needs passengers travelling.  We know that the major
airlines (BA, Cathay, Singapore) watch what Emirates do and they take this
and either copy or develop further.  So what we do will have an impact on
the services that special needs passengers world wide can expect.

I know that I have been a little mercenary to push this but, we are a
commercial organisation and those considerations are our raison d'etre.  But
if it becomes a win:win situation then so much the better.

The working group has come up with some really good ideas and is being so
pro-active that it brings a lump to my throat to see the desire to move
things positively.  I outline below the steps that we are pursuing:

*	We have identified a vehicle (an existing system) that can be used
to ensure that everyone involved in handling a special needs passenger is
informed from the moment of booking of their needs and requirements.  This
system is capable of informing the ground handling staff, reservations
staff, in-flight personnel, etc (everyone that needs to know) of the
requirement.  This is going to be developed and publicised so that our
customer base is aware of the system.  We are going to dry run the system
over the next month or so.  I have been tasked with circulating this
information to the local special needs centres with whom we already do a
great deal of work.

*	Our initial cabin crew training (Ab Initio) is being altered -
target date of 1 APR 2000 - to include training on handling special needs
passengers.  We shall be teaching them to handle wheelchairs (involving them
actually being transported in the wheelchair) on our Cabin Service Trainers
- these are mock-ups of the aircraft interiors.  I have been tasked with
giving our Cabin Crew the first intimation of the existence of this
programme by preparing an article to go into our Cabin Crew's internal
magazine.  This has been drafted and sent for publication.  We are asking
our Cabin Crew to feedback their ideas and suggestions.

*	We have apparently carried out wheelchair handling training with the
Ground Handling staff at Dubai airport (we have a sister company, DNATA,
that runs the airport) in the past.  This will be repeated and made a
regular feature of their training.  The new Dubai concourse has been built
to meet ADA standards and we are going to test these.  We have provided
lounges for special needs people in the new concourse.

*	During one of our station audits, a member of our working group saw
a feature at Johannesburg airport with a kerb to aircraft service for
disabled passengers.  We intend to replicate this in Dubai - but will call
it a Special Needs Service.

*	Our Chief Medical Officer is preparing a small booklet to be issued
to something like 6 000 of our personnel explaining the major special needs
cases that they can expect to encounter.  This booklet will outline the
major points of these disabilities and also give general guidance on how to
cope and assist these people.

*	Our In-flight Services representative has asked me to research what
give-aways we can provide to autistic children that may fly with us.

It is a good start.  The group has decided to build the programme slowly so
as to ensure that we get it right.  These first steps will be expanded as we
try them out and as the programme gains momentum.

I am quite proud that we have managed to get this moving. Just thought that
you would like to be kept informed of this very positive development.  Of
course, any ideas that any of you have that may be beneficial to special
needs air travellers are very welcome.

Regards,

Patrick


-----Original Message-----
From:	[log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent:	Wednesday, December 15, 1999 1:33 PM
To:	[log in to unmask]
Subject:	proposed extension to UK disability discrimination Act

Hi everyone

It looks as though a loophole in the UK Disability Discrimination 
Act is about to be filled. 

The Disability Rights Taskforce has published its final report 
entitled 'From exclusion to inclusion' which outlines plans to to 
cover health, travel, housing and education within the Act. The 
reports recommendations have been accespted by governement 
but obviously it will take time for the legislation to be amended.

But good news, for all concerned. The government will be putting 
30m into funding opportunities (mainly education) but presumably 
clients / building owners will have to meet their own costs (as in 
other areas of the DDA)

Rita


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