How Dubai Startups Are Creating Accessible Tech for Visually and Hearing Impaired Employees in Luxury Hospitality and Finance

Dubai has built its reputation on ambition, but one of its most meaningful steps has been its commitment to inclusivity. By referring to persons with disabilities as People of Determination, the UAE shifted the focus to capability and dignity. Policies such as Federal Law No. 29 of 2006 and the National Policy for Empowering People of Determination provide clear protections, ensuring equal access to education, employment, and community life. For businesses, especially those in customer-facing sectors, this commitment has become a standard they must live up to.

Luxury hospitality and finance are two areas where the pressure is highest. Guest interactions in a hotel depend on attentive service, while banking requires clarity, security, and confidence at every step. How can an employee with a visual impairment navigate digital systems as smoothly as a colleague? How can a staff member with hearing loss handle check-ins or client conversations without barriers? These questions are now driving fresh ideas across Dubai’s startup ecosystem.

New ventures are creating technology that turns accessibility into practical solutions—AI sign language platforms, voice-enabled banking tools, captioned communication systems, and tactile navigation aids are beginning to transform workplaces. The result is a workforce where every employee is equipped to perform with confidence, and every business benefits from their contribution.

In this article, we look at how startups in Dubai are shaping accessible technology for visually and hearing-impaired employees in luxury hospitality and finance, and why these innovations matter for the future of work.

Government and Policy Support

National Policy for Empowering People of Determination

The UAE has taken significant steps to create a society where People of Determination can participate fully in every aspect of life. The National Policy for Empowering People of Determination outlines this vision, ensuring equal access to education, employment, healthcare, and public services. It is supported by Federal Law No. 29 of 2006, which guarantees that disability is never a reason to deny someone their rights.

To strengthen this further, the National Policy for Digital Accessibility provides guidelines for making websites, apps, and other digital services accessible, so employees and customers with disabilities can use them independently.

Dubai Universal Design Code and Workplace Requirements

In Dubai, accessibility is not limited to public spaces—it is built into workplace design and daily operations. The Dubai Universal Design Code sets clear standards for inclusive infrastructure, requiring features such as tactile and visual signage, step-free access, assistive listening systems, and clear wayfinding in offices, hotels, and branches.

These standards ensure that both employees and customers can move around and interact with facilities comfortably and safely. Employers are expected to follow these requirements not just at the design stage but also in ongoing operations and staff training.

Regulations in Banking and Service Industries

The Central Bank of the UAE requires financial institutions to make their services accessible to all, including People of Determination. This means offering essential products without discrimination, providing account information in accessible formats, and ensuring that digital banking apps, ATMs, and physical branches are easy to use for everyone.

For service sectors like hospitality, accessibility is also a quality standard—guests and employees alike must be able to interact with services smoothly, whether that involves captioned communication tools, accessible booking systems, or inclusive customer support.

Together, these policies and regulations create a strong foundation for startups and companies to design solutions that meet both legal obligations and human needs.

Accessible Tech in Action

For Visually Impaired Employees

Technology is giving employees with visual impairments the tools to work more independently and efficiently in sectors like hospitality and finance. Screen readers convert on-screen text into speech or braille, allowing staff to use computers, mobile apps, and booking systems with ease. Braille displays add another layer of access, providing real-time tactile feedback that helps in handling detailed tasks like reviewing transactions or reservations.

Voice-guided systems are also gaining ground—whether through ATMs that speak instructions aloud, or hotel management software with built-in voice navigation. Beyond digital solutions, tactile signage and floor indicators play a practical role in guiding staff safely through hotels, restaurants, and bank branches, ensuring full participation in daily operations.

For Hearing-Impaired Employees

Startups and service providers are also bringing powerful tools to employees who are deaf or hard of hearing. Live captioning software can transcribe meetings, training sessions, or guest conversations instantly, giving staff equal access to real-time information. Interpreter apps and platforms now make it possible to connect with a sign-language interpreter on demand, which is especially useful in guest-facing roles in luxury hotels or client-facing roles in banking.

Visual alert systems, such as flashing lights or vibrating notifications, ensure that important messages and emergency alarms reach everyone at the same time. In physical spaces, hearing loops—systems that transmit sound directly to hearing aids—are being installed in meeting rooms, customer service counters, and hotel reception areas, allowing seamless communication without barriers.

Startups Driving Change

AI-powered Sign Language Translation (KinTrans & Similar)

One of the strongest examples is KinTrans, a platform that uses artificial intelligence to convert sign language gestures into speech and text in real time. The tool supports multiple sign language dictionaries and adapts to regional lexicons (including Arabic Union Sign Language) to improve relevance in the UAE context

In fact, Emirates NBD piloted KinTrans at their Jumeirah Emirates Towers branch to allow staff and customers with hearing or speech impairments to communicate more naturally. The system shows sign input as text for staff, and returns spoken or typed responses for the person using sign.

Because the software translates both ways, staff don’t need to be fluent in sign language themselves. This kind of bi-directional translation is a powerful enabler in banking and hospitality settings, where staff may need to serve both hearing and hearing-impaired guests or clients.

QR-based Interpreter Access in Hotels & Restaurants

While less documented in public sources, a growing model among service venues is QR-triggered interpreter services. In this setup:

A guest or staff member scans a QR code at a counter or table,
That opens a video session with a remote sign-language interpreter or live captions,
The staff can see the translated text or signed video on their device, enabling smoother communication.

This model is lightweight (minimal hardware), flexible across shifts, and can scale across branches. For hotels seeking instant, on-demand accessibility, it’s an appealing path.

Accessible Banking Tools (Voice ATMs, WCAG Apps & More)

The banking sector in the UAE already shows steps toward accessible tools, which startups can build upon:

Talking / Voice-Guided ATMs: Some UAE banks have launched ATMs that offer audio guidance for visually impaired users. Users plug in headphones and the system speaks prompts, guiding them through PIN entry, amounts, and other options.
Combined Braille Keypad & Voice Interface: The UAE’s first “talking ATM” in Sharjah included a Braille keypad (Arabic + English) and voice prompts to make full transactions unassisted.
Voice Activation Features: For example, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) introduced a voice-activated ATM pilot, combining voice guidance, braille stickers, and multilingual support to serve visually impaired customers more independently.
Accessible Mobile & Web Apps: Banks such as HSBC UAE provide “talking ATM” options and ensure their digital banking platforms are designed for assistive technologies (screen readers, high contrast, keyboard navigation). This enables visually impaired customers (and staff) to perform transactions and manage accounts more easily.

On the corporate side, startups can package “accessibility modules” that plug into banking software – for example, voice feedback on teller terminals, screen-reader enhancements for internal dashboards, or assistive UI layers.

Impact on Hospitality

Inclusive Check-In / Check-Out Systems

Hotels are turning to technology to simplify front desk interactions for employees who may have visual or hearing impairments. For example:

Self-service kiosks with voice guidance and screen-reader compatibility allow visually impaired staff to assist or even supervise guest check-ins.
Tablets or mobile stations at the desk can run live captioning or sign-language translation apps, enabling smoother interactions between staff and guests who are hearing impaired.
Back-office operations are being streamlined so that check-ins or billing tasks are accessible via keyboard navigation or speech commands.
Contactless solutions (QR check-in, digital room keys via apps) reduce the dependency on counter interactions, lowering friction for staff and guests alike.
As Dubai and UAE hotels move more into mobile-first services and AI tools, these inclusive systems can become standard in luxury hospitality environments.

Braille & Digital Menus, Captioned Concierge Services

Dining and guest services are high-stakes moments for accessibility. Some of the approaches now being adopted include:

Braille menus & tactile menu covers: Guests and staff can navigate food, beverage, or service options by touch.
Digital menus with voice readout or text enlargement: Tablet menus can offer a “read aloud” button or a high-contrast, large-font mode, aiding staff or guests who are visually impaired.
Captioned concierge video services: In lobbies or guest apps, concierge chats or video calls include real-time captions, so employees with hearing challenges can read the conversation rather than rely solely on audio.
Combined print + digital pathways: A physical menu may also offer a QR code link to the accessible digital version, so staff can assist guests in multiple ways.

These options not only support employee inclusion but help maintain consistency and luxury standards in guest interactions.

Staff Training Powered by Accessible Tech

One of the biggest shifts is in how staff are trained to serve inclusively and how employees with impairments are onboarded:

Accessibility training modules delivered via platforms that already support captioning, sign-language overlays, or screen-reader navigation. This ensures every staff member, regardless of ability, can learn using the same system.
Simulated impairment training tools: Some hotels conduct exercises where sighted staff experience “low-vision mode” or “deaf mode” in digital systems so they empathize with the experience and understand accessibility needs firsthand.
Continuous learning with AI assistants: Staff can use chatbots or voice assistants that explain accessibility features (e.g. “How do I help a guest who uses sign language?”) on demand.
Recognition programs for inclusive excellence: Hotels like Hilton in the UAE have implemented the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program—team members are trained to recognize and respond better to non-apparent disabilities, creating a more aware environment. (Hilton UAE adopted the Sunflower lanyard program across its properties.)

Through better training, staff become comfortable using accessibility tools and the culture shifts toward inclusion rather than accommodation.

Impact on Finance

Accessible Banking Apps & Websites

Banks are making their digital platforms more inclusive, so both employees and customers with visual impairments can use them independently. For example, one UAE bank recently introduced a screen-reader–friendly version of its mobile app, letting users navigate menus, transfer funds, or review statements via voice feedback.

Beyond screen readers, banks are redesigning interfaces to comply with accessibility standards — clearer labeling, logical layout, adjustable contrast, and support for keyboard navigation. These changes make it easier for visually impaired staff to use internal dashboards, client systems, or customer-facing portals.

Branch Facilities with Hearing Loops & Tactile Navigation

At the branch level, some banks have installed hearing induction loops (sometimes called hearing loops or audio-frequency induction loops). These systems transmit sound directly to compatible hearing aids, reducing background noise and clarifying conversations at teller counters and meeting rooms. One major bank in the UAE now uses them in selected branches to help clients and staff with hearing difficulties.

Tactile navigation elements also play a role: branches may include tactile maps, directional floor indicators, and Braille signage to help visually impaired employees move around safely. At one bank, branches with “disability-friendly” status include tactile floor markers and Braille labels at key touchpoints, such as entrances, counters, and document stations.

Inclusive ATMs & Customer Support Channels

Banks are deploying interactive ATMs that offer audio guidance and Braille keypads, enabling visually impaired users to complete transactions independently. In the UAE, a “talking ATM” was introduced featuring voice prompts (in Arabic and English), a Braille keypad, and wheelchair access — allowing users to withdraw cash or get account info without assistance.
Some banks go even further:

Video magnifiers help customers with low vision enlarge printed forms or documents right at the branch.
Some branches allow account opening via Braille forms or printouts, giving customers with visual impairments fuller independence.
Priority queues and “disability friendly counters” (lower height, clear sight lines) are becoming standard in branches marked as accessible.
On the support side, banks are offering dedicated service channels (phone or chat) designed for accessibility — with captioned chat, screen-reader compatibility, or staff trained in sign language.

Through these advancements, finance institutions are making more of their services usable by staff and clients with diverse abilities — raising the bar for inclusion in the UAE’s banking sector.

Dubai’s journey toward inclusion shows what is possible when startups, corporates, and government work together. By equipping visually and hearing-impaired employees with accessible tools, hospitality and finance are proving that accessibility can be built into daily operations, not treated as an add-on. As these sectors lead the way, they create a model for others to follow — a workplace culture where every employee has the chance to contribute fully, grow confidently, and thrive with dignity.