Special Olympics International praises the UAE’s experience and declares 2026 “the Year of the Inclusive Teacher”

Special Olympics International declared 2026 the “Year of the Inclusive Teacher,” directing a global call to address the acute shortage of teachers, stressing that the UAE’s experience, especially its hosting of the Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019, represents a strong basis for launching a new international initiative that supports inclusive education around the world. The announcement came based on the UAE’s leadership in establishing a culture of inclusion and equal opportunities.

The report issued by the International Federation in cooperation with the Special Olympics World Center for Inclusion in Education in Abu Dhabi indicated that the framework of principles of inclusion in learning that the UAE is currently implementing in an experimental manner represents a global model that can be disseminated within teacher preparation programs, thus contributing to building more comprehensive and sustainable educational systems.

The report is based on the specific initiatives led by the Special Olympics World Center for Inclusion in Education in Abu Dhabi, which was established with the generosity of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, “may God protect him,” in continuation of the sustainable legacy of the Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019, and an embodiment of the UAE’s commitment to establishing a culture of inclusion and equal opportunities for people of determination.

The Center works to support partners around the world to design and expand inclusive education initiatives, and through the Unified Champions Schools program, it brings together students with intellectual disabilities and their colleagues through inclusive sports, integrated school activities, and youth leadership opportunities, in a way that enhances the values ​​of belonging among all abilities.

Dr. Timothy Shriver, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Special Olympics International, warned in the annual speech on the state of inclusion for the year 2026, of the serious repercussions of the teacher shortage on the future of millions of students, especially those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, referring to estimates by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which expects the world to need about 44 million new teachers by 2030 to meet basic education needs.

He explained that up to 90% of children with disabilities in low-income countries are deprived of education, at a time when educational gaps are widening in the areas most in need, calling on governments, donors and leaders of the education sector to immediately invest in recruiting, training and supporting teachers as an essential input to achieving inclusive education.

The speech, entitled “The Year of the Teacher: Teaching Inclusion in a Divided World,” was issued in cooperation with the Special Olympics World Center for Inclusion in Education in Abu Dhabi, in light of the mounting challenges facing educational systems due to conflicts, displacement, climate unrest, and increasing mental health problems, which have led to overcrowded classrooms, decreased quality of education, and limited learning opportunities, which are factors that have a greater impact on students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Dr. Shriver emphasized that students from this category are the most affected during periods of instability, and they are often the first to be excluded from schools and the last to have their needs taken into account within educational policies and development plans, stressing that teachers represent an essential pillar for consolidating the values ​​of empathy, inclusion, and stability, and that they cannot bear this responsibility alone.

He called for integration to be considered a fundamental human right and a necessary pillar for building a just and prosperous future, calling on governments, institutions, companies and multilateral development organizations to raise their level of commitment to avoid worsening the crisis, and to treat integration as a basic investment priority no less important than building roads and bridges and developing health care systems.

The State of Inclusion 2026 report identified four main axes directed at education leaders around the world, including committing to long-term funding of no less than five years with an annual increase of 3% linked to inflation, including mandatory training on inclusion in all teacher licensing programs by 2028, protecting the well-being of teachers and enhancing the status of the profession, in addition to investing in school inclusion programs such as Unified Sports for the Special Olympics, student leadership activities, and peer mentoring.

Ahmed Al Gergawi, Director of Care, Partnerships and Communication at the Centre, said: “Schools are the incubators in which feelings of belonging are formed, and teachers are the beating heart that turns the values ​​of inclusion into a tangible reality. Today, the UAE is at the forefront of the global scene in establishing a new standard for inclusion, based on the conviction that every child deserves a teacher who sees his potential and believes in his ability to succeed.”

He added that the center contributes from Abu Dhabi to providing practical solutions to the world to enable teachers and school communities to include every learner, ensuring that students with mental disabilities flourish with their peers in one educational environment.

In 2025, the Mohammed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanitarian Impact announced the provision of a new major grant to the International Special Olympics, with the aim of expanding the scope of these efforts and enhancing their horizons, and enabling the global center to build bridges of cooperation with a greater number of countries, and provide teachers with the practical tools necessary for inclusion, as well as empowering young people to become effective ambassadors in building inclusive schools and communities that embrace everyone.