(MENAFN- The Peninsula) |
The Peninsula
Qatar Foundation (QF) is collaborating and supporting efforts to make the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 the most accessible tournament.
QF's World Cup Master Program has influenced the local and international movement in sports accessibility on an international stage.
“The sensory rooms built for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 are the first time that FIFA has established them for a World Cup tournament, and we hope the efforts we have made with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and FIFA will show an added legacy of inclusion in the future for persons with disability,” said Nihal Mohamed, a Project Manager for the Qatar Foundation World Cup Master Program, advising on sustainability and accessibility in sports.
QF has trained specialist accessible volunteers to support the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Volunteer Program, and“Coaching the Coach” programme provides mainstream football coaches, teachers and other personnel involved in sports delivery with the skills needed to train children with disabilities.
“There have been many international experiences and standards that we have been able to draw from and apply in Qatar. For example, the sensory rooms in the National Football League were a great inspiration for a mega sporting event that draws millions of fans annually to increase access for people on the spectrum and people with alternative abilities in sports,” she told The Peninsula.
“I think Qatar has already set a benchmark for sports accessibility that will hopefully be a legacy to the world. The experience and lessons learned across the different groups working in Qatar is definitely something that can leverage locally and globally,” she added.
According to Nihal, who is also the Program Manager at Earthna Center for Sustainable Future, different teams within the QF ecosystem are currently reviewing different parts of Education City in order to improve accessibility as it is the institution's priority. The process will continue post tournament as well.
“The reviews include a look at how sub-themes within our strategy related to wellbeing are being actively enforced and affecting various elements such as our day-to-day operations, the Education City Stadium, the QF website, ability friendly programme offerings, school programmes and curriculums, and services.
“Our work is not done, and we will continue these efforts post World Cup as part of our business as usual within QF. Accessibility and inclusion have been a priority agenda for Qatar Foundation prior to the World Cup and will continue to be so even after,” she added.
QF has always been at the forefront of efforts to improve accessibility and inclusion of persons with disabilities. From the establishment of schools in the area of special education needs, to ability friendly programmes, to the establishment of Hamad Bin Khalifa University's Translation & Interpretation Institute, and other initiatives that have worked to change perceptions about keeping an open mind — beyond following established pedagogical methods.
“The creation of schools like Awsaj, Renad, Qatar Academy of Science and Technology and Academyati is, in itself, a break away from traditional methods of education for all abilities in the community, because Qatar Foundation acknowledges that all children have talent and potential that can be unlocked with an adjustment to how the child learns,” said Nihal.