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Emirates Foundation, Special Olympics UAE to promote social inclusion through events

The initiative, for preschool through university, brings together students with and without intellectual disabilities to create accepting school environments

A nationwide series of events will be held to strengthen Special Olympics’ plans for social inclusion, support people of determination and improve the quality of services provided to them.

Ahmed Al Shamsi, CEO, Emirates Foundation and Talal Al Hashemy, National Director, Special Olympics UAE, inked a memorandum of understanding to kick-off a year-round partnership to promote and deliver events as part of the Special Olympics Unified Champions Schools (UCS) Programme.

The programme is an initiative for preschool through university that promotes social inclusion by bringing together students with and without intellectual disabilities to create accepting school environments relying on three interconnected elements: Special Olympics Unified Sports, inclusive youth leadership, and whole school engagement. It adopts a strategy of unifying all students using sports as a catalyst for social inclusion and attitude and behavioural change.

Emirates Foundation will support the programme by managing a year-round volunteer programme for successful hosting of UCS events throughout the country, including Unified Sports and Unified Robotics.

“Emirates Foundation has a proud history in supporting the Special Olympics dating back to our key role in Special Olympics World Games 2019. Through this new partnership with Special Olympics UAE, we are able to bring joy and inclusion to school children across the UAE by engaging our nationwide volunteers and diverse talents in the life changing UCS programme,” Al Shamsi said.

The partnership reiterates the Special Olympics’ keenness to strengthen its ambitious plans for social inclusion and promote positive behaviours through an integrated set of initiatives that employ sport as an active element.

Al Hashemi noted: “We believe that our cooperation and partnership with Emirates Foundation will contribute to achieving the Special Olympics’ goals.”

As part of the ongoing collaboration between the two parties, 92 volunteers contributed their time and talents to support the Unified Sports League Finals this month. 240 student athletes with and without intellectual disabilities from Emirates Schools Establishment met for a two-day competition in five-a-side football and badminton at the 321 Sports Dome in Abu Dhabi.

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