'We know the barriers': UAE-led research shapes inclusive policies with Special Olympics athletes' help

Khaleej Times

07-04-2025

'We are the ones living this — we know what real inclusion feels like, and we can tell when it's not working,' said Benjamin Haack, a board member of Special Olympics Australia and longtime global advocate for inclusion. Haack is a co-researcher with an Abu Dhabi-backed research initiative which aims to boost the inclusion of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities at schools worldwide.
The initiative, funded through a $25-million grant from UAE President Sheikh Mohamed, seeks to close critical evidence gaps in inclusive education and drive systemic change worldwide.
Haack's comments were made in a video interview shared by the Special Olympics Global Centre for Inclusion in Education, as the organisation unveiled a first-of-its-kind global research agenda led from Abu Dhabi.
The agenda, officials say, is not just about schools and classrooms — it's about who gets to shape the systems that define inclusion.
'Too often, research about inclusion in education and sports is done without including the voices of those with intellectual and developmental disabilities,' said Sammy Kamande, a Special Olympics athlete from Kenya and member of the Research Collaborative. 'But we are the ones living these experiences — we know the barriers, and we know what real inclusion looks like.'
Both Kamande and Haack are athlete-leaders who have taken on co-researcher roles within the Special Olympics' global initiative. 'We've got to learn how to deal with power in a far better way,' Haack said. 'What I would say to governments is when they say that they want to be individualised, they need to start living up to what they actually mean. They need to not just look at the pure economics … They need to think more about investment and less about short-term outcomes.'
The new agenda, developed over two years and across 25 countries, was built to address the global lack of data, direction, and accountability when it comes to inclusive education, Salyne El Samarany, vice president of the centre, and Ahmad Al Gergawi, director of Communications and Partnerships, said in an interview with Khaleej Times.
'This is a call to action for policymakers, researchers, and universities to help us build the evidence we need,' said El Samarany. 'The research agenda outlines six global themes, from teacher professional development to inclusive use of AI. But at its core, it's about ensuring that people with disabilities are included in the design of every programme, every intervention.'
El Samarany added that research shows students benefit when inclusion is done well — academically, socially, and even in long-term wages. 'We now have enough data to say that models like Unified Champion Schools reduce stigma and improve outcomes. But we still lack sufficient evidence for many other programmes. That's why this work is so critical.'
Al Gergawi said the work began after the 2019 World Games in Abu Dhabi, and has since grown into a global coalition. 'When we first approached government agencies, many thought inclusion is only in sports,' he said. 'We told them: AI is reshaping education, but no one's talking about how it impacts people with IDD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilties). Once we showed up with data, and the voices of our athletes, they listened.'
Since its founding in 2020, the centre has published over 14 research briefs and launched projects with partners like Education Cannot Wait. 'We're embedding research into every intervention,' said El Samarany. 'We want teacher professional development, AI tools, and policy advocacy to all align with this agenda. That's how we drive systems change.'
'One of the most powerful tools we have is data,' said El Samarany. 'We've worked closely with the World Bank to highlight that students with disabilities are, on average, seven percentage points less likely to complete primary school than their peers. That's a huge gap — and when we present that data to governments, it changes the conversation. It becomes harder to ignore.'
Al Gergawi added that the economic case for inclusion is just as urgent: 'Excluding people with disabilities from education and employment can reduce a country's GDP by up to 7 percent. Once policymakers see that exclusion is not just a moral issue but a measurable economic loss, they start to pay attention.'
A symposium is also being planned in Abu Dhabi later this year, where officials hope to name 'theme partners' to champion each of the six priority areas. 'Just like the SDGs (sustainable development goals) had goalkeepers, we're looking for institutions that will not only support the research, but help implement it on the ground,' she said.
The ultimate goal? A world where people like Sammy and Benjamin don't just inspire policy, they help shape it. 'This agenda is not just about research,' Kamande said. 'It's about making sure our voices help shape the solutions that will lead to real change.'
The centre's reach is already showing results worldwide. In Romania, Special Olympics has partnered with the Ministry of Education to embed Unified Champion Schools (UCS) values directly into classrooms, reaching over 153,000 youth across 258 schools.
The programme has been recognised nationally, with President Klaus Iohannis awarding the team the Order of Merit for their human rights work. They've also developed inclusive manuals now used by teachers across the country, covering topics from youth leadership to inclusive sports.
In Rwanda, more than 361,000 students have been reached through 210 Unified Champion Schools, in a partnership closely coordinated with the Ministry of Education. The country now serves as a Regional Hub of Excellence for Unified programming across Africa, hosting a recent workshop in Kigali that brought together education leaders from 14 countries to share best practices. 'Participating in Unified Sports has changed my life,' said Unified athlete Irafasha Patience. 'I've made friends I never would have met and learned that we all have something valuable to contribute.'