On the first Sunday of every month, Zayed National Museum will welcome visitors an hour before its regular opening time. The museum will feature gentler lighting and sound elements to support people with neurodivergent conditions, such as autism and attention deficiency disorder.

Titled Quiet Morning, the initiative will begin on January 4, running between 9am and 10am. Spaces that will have adjusted settings include several galleries within the museum, as well as the outdoor Al Masar Garden. The initiative has also been designed for families, schools and visitors who prefer a more peaceful way to navigate the museum.

Quiet Morning comes as part of Zayed National Museum’s broader considerations for accessibility. The museum was the first cultural institution in the region to adopt the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, a globally recognised programme where people with hidden disabilities wear a sunflower lanyard or pin to signal they need help. Up to 80 per cent of the museum’s staff have been trained to meet the needs of People of Determination.

The museum was also one of the first institutions in the country to offer tours in Emirati Sign Language, led by deaf museum experience specialists.

Other considerations include accessibility for wheelchair users. The museum also offers induction loops, a special sound system tailored for people with hearing aids; portable stools, for those who may not be able to stand for long periods; as well as tactile stations that visitors with visual impairments can touch to get more insight into the collection.

Alongside Quiet Morning, there are also resources for neurodivergent audiences available across opening hours. These include a sensory map, to plan and know about the crowded and quiet spaces within the museum. A calm room, meanwhile, offers a relaxed space to take breaks and emotionally regulate.

“We want to position Zayed National Museum as a benchmark of accessibility,” Amna Al Hammadi, the museum’s audience engagement lead, told The National in September. “We want to lead by example. Our vision is to be the most accessible museum in the world.”

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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme

Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.

The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.

It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.

The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.

Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”