Abu Dhabi school project teaches empathy for the disabled

Chess champion Loay Ali Allay was among those invited to Al Mushrif Primary School, Abu Dhabi to share with pupils their experience of living with a disability. Courtesy Al Mushrif Primary

ABU DHABI // Youngsters at an Abu Dhabi school have been given the opportunity to gain insight into some of the difficulties faced by disabled people.

In their project One World Many Abilities, Grade 5 pupils at Al Mushrif Primary School went about their daily routine, with a twist – some pupils were confined to wheelchairs, others wore blindfolds or noise-cancelling ear muffs.

Members of the UAE paraplegic sports community came to the school to talk to the pupils and introduce them to new experiences such as wheelchair basketball, blindfolded water polo or swimming with ear muffs on.

Some of the pupils also played chess with Loay Ali Allay, a chess champion who is blind.

Indera Rampersau, from the US, the teacher who organised the project, said: “For a majority of the children, this is the first time that they had met anyone with a disability.

“It was so nice that they saw that people with a disability can have a job and be successful.

“The children now want to learn sign language.”

The project has not just been eagerly received by the pupils, it has attracted outside supporters as well.

“Last year we used regular headphones but this year a security firm donated 10 ear defenders,” the teacher said. “We are getting more support from different organisations, it’s coming together better.”

Teacher Emma Owen, from Wales, said the programme allowed the children to empathise with disabled people.

“Their views and opinions changed when the guest speakers came in,” she said. “They had a lot of questions and the speakers were very open. This allowed them to see disabled people as normal people.”

The children also met Theban Al Muhairi, secretary general of the UAE Paralympic Committee, who represented the UAE in the 2012 Paralympic Games.

Maha Al Braiki, 10, an Emirati, wore a blindfold for a few hours, and was helped around by her classmate Jana Foda.

She said: “It was hard to move around or speak to people when you can’t see them. I did not know where I was.

“I was scared when I was walking and, at lunch, I had to touch everything before I ate it.

“It must be so hard for people who are visually impaired.”

Sultan Al Awani 10, an Emirati, opted to use a wheelchair, which he said made it difficult to move around the school.

“I thought about how many people are wheelchair bound but still play sports and do everything,” he said. “They can even go to the Olympics.”

Cynthia Stephan, 10, a Canadian, had to act as the eyes of a fellow pupil who spent the day blindfolded.

“He had to have a lot of trust in me,” she said. “I thought it would be very difficult but it was easy.

“I learnt that you always have to have people who care surrounding you.”

Sharina Al Mehairbi, 10, an Emirati, said: “This day was the best day of my life because I felt what they, the disabled, feel.

“It was really upsetting that I could not hear the music when we were doing a dance in our physical education class.”