Muscat 23° 37′ N, 58° 35′ O

In Oman we were only in the capital, Muscat, where also the bear part of life in the country takes place, because the rest of the country consists almost only of desert. The capital is located on the Gulf of Oman and is known as a car city, partly because it covers a large area along the coast. There are an incredible number of cabs and as public transport only buses exist, which in our experience run very irregularly. Without a car, you are more or less lost here, which does not exactly simplify getting around for physically impaired people. Even as a pedestrian you have difficulties to get from A to B, because this city is simply not designed for walking. Here, distances, for example to the supermarket, are covered by car, which one could actually reach very well on foot. Many expressways run through the city, connecting the various widely separated parts of the city. It sometimes happened to us that there was actually no way to cross these roads for what feels like miles.

However, in other areas of infrastructure, more attention is paid to accessibility. For example, there is a legal requirement in Oman that every public building must be equipped with a wheelchair-friendly ramp, which is practically implemented in the majority of cases.
In Oman, we noticed the great hospitality and helpfulness of the people, which is naturally conducive to inclusive participation in everyday life. Whenever we needed help from outside, we received help from very friendly people. However, as far as social inclusion is concerned, Oman is still at the beginning of its journey. Here, many disabled people still live with their family and are sometimes still "hidden" because the family is ashamed of them. For the time being, disability activists like Sabah and Safiya are focused on increasing acceptance of disability.