The programme is being rolled out by Special Olympics UAE.
A new programme has been launched by Special Olympics UAE to integrate students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to achieve an inclusive environment in education.
The Unified Champions Schools (UCS) programme is being rolled out in some 200 registered public and private schools for the 2021-2022 academic year, making it one of the largest initiatives for inclusion in education for students of all abilities.
Equipping students and teachers with tools and resources to create a culture of inclusion, the plan offers a three-pronged approach to promote inclusion through unified sports, inclusive youth leadership and whole school engagement activities.
The cornerstone of the programme, Unified Sports, provides five different activities including Unified Athletic Skills and Unified Football League in partnership with PASS Abu Dhabi, Unified Badminton, Unified Fitness Clubs and the popular Unified Robotics competition, the largest competition of its kind for neurodiverse students in MENA.
His Excellency Talal Al Hashemi, National Director of Special Olympics UAE said: “This year, we have curated an impressive and diverse array of programs and initiatives under the umbrella of Unified Champion Schools; from Unified Sports to leadership and activities that bring the entire school communities together to embrace and practice inclusion.
“Unified Champion Schools contributes to the vision of the UAE’s leadership to embed the values of respect and inclusion in all aspects of society, and naturally schools have to be among the first places to start.”
Introduced into the UAE 2019, with the support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the programme is expanding into six other countries including India and Pakistan.
Schools can register for the programme online at Unified Champion Sports.
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