Hope Qatar is expanding its Sadeeqi inclusion initiative into schools and colleges nationwide to foster greater understanding and acceptance of disability through creative activities and competition. The program, part of Hope Qatar Centre for Persons with Disabilities’ 20th anniversary celebrations, invites students with and without disabilities to participate, aiming to promote friendship, empathy, and everyday inclusion.
Rizwanah Adeebh, a neurophysiotherapist and partnerships manager at Hope Qatar, explained that the initiative seeks to normalize inclusion beyond specialized centers and organized events. “We want a society where everybody is equal,” she said. “We want this to be a daily thing. We want this to be a part of society.”
The initiative targets 138 schools and 40 higher education institutions across Qatar, with students competing in a variety of categories, including painting, public speaking, creative writing, poster design, performing arts, photography, documentary filmmaking, singing, dance, drama or mime, video shorts, and animation. The competition’s themes encourage participants to consider practical aspects of inclusion, such as how to include a friend with special needs during social activities like birthday parties or outings. Older students may address more complex topics like responding to sensory overwhelm in autistic children.
Adeebh noted that these themes are designed to be thought-provoking, requiring students to learn, think, and empathize before creatively expressing their ideas. The competition will unfold in multiple stages: participating institutions will receive guidelines, conduct preliminary contests, and select their best entries for a grand finale event showcasing the work to a broader audience.
The championship welcomes all students, not only those with disabilities, to foster widespread awareness. This inclusive approach aligns with Sadeeqi’s overarching mission to build friendships between individuals with and without disabilities. The initiative was inspired by Hope Qatar founder Dr. Rajiv Thomas, whose personal experience as a parent of a child with Down syndrome highlighted the social exclusion that families often face.
“Children with disabilities may sometimes be left out of birthday parties, community activities, or everyday social experiences,” Adeebh said. “The vision was that a special needs child also should be a normal part of society. They have the right to be everywhere. They have the right to be included in any community event.”
In addition to widening social connections beyond Hope Qatar’s own community, the initiative relies on student volunteers from schools and universities. These volunteers receive training from professionals to better understand diverse behaviors and to facilitate comfortable, respectful interactions. Adeebh noted that young people have generally been open and enthusiastic, which is why the program focuses heavily on educational institutions where social attitudes are still being shaped.
Early development of empathy and inclusion skills can help mitigate the isolation or bullying often experienced by neurodiverse children in mainstream settings. Adeebh emphasized the importance of normalizing responses to disability in everyday public spaces: “We don’t want our parents who have special needs children or our children to feel awkward or secluded or embarrassed anywhere.”
Since its founding over 20 years ago, Hope Qatar has supported more than 450 students with education and therapeutic services, including physical, occupational, speech, and behavioral therapies, as well as academic and recreational activities such as sports and dance. Currently serving over 120 students, the center hopes the Sadeeqi championship will extend its impact into the wider community by encouraging more open conversations about special needs and promoting meaningful inclusion as a societal norm.
“We hope more people talk about special needs, more people learn more about what inclusion is,” Adeebh said, “and it becomes a beautiful and better society.”