The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) is pleased to announce that Global Village, one of the region’s premier multicultural family destination and a proud member of Dubai Holding Entertainment, has officially earned the Certified Autism Center™️ (CAC) designation. This recognition marks a significant step in supporting Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) initiative to establish Dubai as a Certified Autism Destination™ (CAD), making the city more accessible to all visitors, including autistic individuals and those with sensory sensitivities.

The CAC certification is awarded to organizations that complete a comprehensive training and review process led by IBCCES. This includes staff-wide training on autism and sensory awareness to enhance understanding and accessibility, as well as  provide a more supportive environment for autistic guests and their families. An onsite review conducted by IBCCES also ensured the property integrates necessary accommodations, pre-arrival planning tools, and other supportive resources that enhance the experience for neurodivergent visitors.

“At Global Village, inclusivity is at the heart of our guest experience,” says the Global Village management team. “We are proud to become a Certified Autism Center™, making us one of the region’s premier destinations to complete a specialized training and certification process to better serve autistic guests and individuals with sensory sensitivities. This accomplishment reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a welcoming and accessible environment for every family and ensuring that all our guests feel seen, supported, and celebrated.”

“Global Village’s designation as a Certified Autism Center™️ is another key achievement in our collective efforts to make Dubai a world leader in accessible tourism,” says Myron Pincomb, board chairman and CEO of IBCCES. “We are proud to support the work of Dubai Holding Entertainment and DET as they set new standards in inclusive travel and entertainment across the region.”

Global Village is also now listed on the IBCCES Accessibility App, a free resource that connects families and individuals with certified destinations worldwide. Through the app, users can find venue information, sensory accommodations, and support resources—all designed to help guests with cognitive and sensory differences plan with ease and confidence.

To further support inclusivity efforts, Global Village will be featured on the IBCCES Accessibility App, which is free to download. This app provides individuals with a variety of disabilities real-time guidance on certified destinations, sensory-friendly spaces, and tailored recommendations. By connecting users to accessible locations worldwide, the app helps ensure seamless, enjoyable experiences for everyone.

For more than two decades, IBCCES has been a leader in providing autism, sensory and neurodiversity training and certification for professionals worldwide, including those in healthcare, education, public safety, travel, and corporate sectors. As the only credentialing board offering these programs, IBCCES provides training from subject matter experts and autistic self-advocates, along with long-term support, continuous learning, onsite reviews, and renewal requirements to ensure continued growth and lasting impact.

IBCCES also provides access to resources such as CertifiedAutismCenter.com and AutismTravel.com, free online tools for families that list certified locations and professionals. Each organization listed on the site has met Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) requirements.

About Global Village

Based in Dubai, Global Village is a unique family destination for shopping, dining, entertainment, and attractions. As a multi-cultural entertainment destination, Global Village takes everyone who walks through the entrance on a journey around the world: with the most unique and wonderful foods, products, and entertainment, there is something for everyone.

Each season, millions of guests visit Global Village to explore cultural pavilions, live shows, international cuisine, and thrilling rides—making it one of the UAE’s most beloved destinations for family fun and discovery.

About IBCCES 

Delivering the global standard for training and certification in the fields of autism, neurodiversity, and accessibility – IBCCES provides a series of certification programs that empower professionals to be leaders in their field and improve the outcomes for the individuals they serve. For over two decades, IBCCES has been a global leader, setting the industry standard in autism and cognitive differences training. IBCCES works in over 111 countries and provides training in 8 languages, and its programs have been recognized around the world as the leading benchmark in training and certification.

In addition to individual certification programs, IBCCES partners with cities, destinations, and organizations on initiatives like the Certified Autism Destination™ (CAD) and Autism Certified City™ (ACC), ensuring autistic and sensory-sensitive residents and visitors feel welcomed and safe. Destinations that achieve the CAD designation have completed a specialized program that ensures a multitude of recreation, hospitality and entertainment organizations have completed an autism and sensory-sensitivity training, certification and IBCCES facilities review process. The ACC designation expands on that program and includes IBCCES training and certification for the public safety, education, healthcare and workplace sectors.

IBCCES also created the Accessibility App, AutismTravel.com, and CertifiedAutismCenter.com – free resources for individuals with a variety of neurodiversities and disabilities, listing certified locations and connecting individuals to other resources and each other.