MEA | UAE Business Awards 2024 Best Accessibility Products & Services Company 2024 - Dubai Topland is a leading supplier that specialises in providing assistive products and services for people of determination (those living with both visible and hidden disabilities). Driven by the overarching aim of helping businesses and the wider community become accessible for all, Topland strives to create environments that are inclusive and welcoming. From cuttingedge visual and hearing assistance through to mobility aids and Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyards, this team thinks about the needs of everyone to celebrate our differences. Sales and Marketing Director Tanya Faulkner shares more. Ever since it was established back in 2012, Topland has delivered creative, pioneering solutions that support its overall goal of furthering accessibility for those living in Dubai and across the wider United Arab Emirates. By significantly improving the quality of life for people of determination, staff here are setting a new gold standard for accessibility and support, a testament to their unrelenting dedication to the cause. Collaborating with both the government and those in the private sector, Topland’s client portfolio is as diverse as the people it serves, and inclusive of everything from airports to fashion brands and even banks. Leveraging a commitment to using only state-of-the-art products of the highest quality, any project that Topland takes on usually begins with a series of detailed discussions with a customer that allows this team to fully comprehend their needs and provide the equipment and service that is best for them. Following on from this, a tailored proposal is made that encompasses all of these elements and aligns with any objectives and timelines set by the organisation. In essence, Topland can be described as the one-stop-shop solution for any and all accessibility needs in this region. As Tanya herself explains it, “We offer an end-to-end client experience that includes product and accessibility consultations, site assessments, design, training, supply of high-quality products, installation and maintenance, assistive equipment rentals and full-service rentals.” A comprehensive suite of solutions such as this has proven incredibly useful in an assistive technology market that Tanya tells us is estimated to be worth more than $2.2 billion in the MEA region alone. After all, countless businesses and venues across this space need such technology to bring them into the modern day and ensure they do not get left behind. There are a number of factors contributing to the increased demand for accessible products and services, but first and foremost is an aging population. With people around the world living longer and better due to the significant medical advancements that have been made over the past several decades, there has been a spike in demand for devices that can enhance mobility and aid in the day-to-day activities of seniors and other people living with physical conditions. Then of course, there has been an influx of government policies and initiatives introduced backing this, and this is particularly true of the UAE. Tanya tells us, “In April 2017, the UAE ramped up its mission to become an inclusive, barrier-free society through a number of initiatives such as the ‘My Community …A City for Everyone ’ programme, , the inauguration of the term ‘People of Determination’, and a 5 year Abu Dhabi Strategy for People of Determination . Through these initiatives, the government is seeking to ensure that people of determination feel welcome and integrated into society, through means as simple yet important as ensuring that all new buildings are accessible or retrofitting existing buildings for the same purpose. Despite such leaps forward, the market is still facing a number of challenges. Whilst there may have been a wealth of significant technological advancements in the field that can change lives (Tanya mentions Contacta hearing assistive technology, NaviLens codes, Immersive Reality spaces and the SEATRAC Mover by name), the primary challenge is a general lack of awareness from people about such products. To remedy this, Tanya explains, “We are doing a lot of groundwork in raising awareness about new assistive technologies emerging
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