Special Olympics UAE hosted the Unified Champion Schools (UCS) Awarding Ceremony yesterday to honour schools that achieved the Unified Schools and Unified Champion Schools titles for the 2022 – 2023 and 2023-2024 academic years.

The ceremony, held at the Zayed University Conference Center in Abu Dhabi, was attended by representatives of the 260 honoured schools and three universities to celebrate their commitment to promoting inclusive practices and support the participation of people of determination with intellectual and developmental disabilities in various activities within the school community.

In his opening remarks, Talal Al Hashemi, National Director of Special Olympics UAE, expressed his gratitude to all participating schools and universities, stating, “Your inspiring efforts and commitment to inclusion are vital to empowering people of determination. The supportive learning environments you create through Unified Sports, Inclusive Leadership, and Whole School Engagement exemplify the spirit of inclusion that defines our society.”

He also clarified that over the years, the UCS programme has seen significant growth, with participation expanding to 1,968 schools across the UAE. As one of the global initiatives of Special Olympics International, the programme implements various pillars that promote the full participation of students of different abilities.

Al Hashemi indicated that It provides resources to create school environments that integrate students of all abilities, encouraging them to assume leadership roles, form friendships, and work as a team. The UCS Programme also provides ongoing training and support for teachers to enhance their skills in running unified sports and activities independently in their schools.

He added, “the development of the Unified Champion Schools programme has not only expanded by increasing the number of participating schools but has also qualitatively improved. This year, we witnessed the organisation of our major event, the ‘UAE Games,’ the first half of which was focused on Unified Champions Schools’ participation.”

As part of the UCS programme, Special Olympics UAE also introduced the Unified Schools UAE Games, featuring football and badminton competitions for around 400 male and female students.