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“Social inclusion is an integral part of Qatar Foundation’s fabric,” begins Nardine Gerges.

When she and the team at Qatar Foundation went about creating – an e-guide aimed at highlighting places or experiences persons with disabilities could visit – their aim was simple: to support Qatar’s goal of hosting the most accessible FIFA World Cup. Now that has been achieved, the aim is to maintain this legacy and open Qatar for all.

The dual-language, multi-format guide – including text-only and braille versions – makes accessibility-specific information about Qatar readily available to help persons with disabilities – residents and visitors alike – explore Qatar, including over 30 attractions and experiences.

"We had to make establishments understand that accessibility isn’t just about parking spaces and ramps and tick boxes. It is about creating an overall welcoming experience and adapting to the needs of people and going that extra mile to create a positive barrier-free experience that is inclusive for all"

“There was an information gap in the country when it came to places or experiences persons with disabilities could enjoy” explains Project Manager Nardine. “So we took it upon ourselves to fill that gap and create a resource that could provide clear information on accessible experiences across the country.

“By making accessibility-specific information easily available through the guide, we hope it will serve as a valuable resource for people of all abilities and encourage them to try out new experiences while minimising the effortÌęoften spent in looking up accessibility-related information.”

Putting the guide together was a labour of love –Ìęan integral part of that was to get Qatar’s disability community actively involved.Ìę

“User verification was paramount in bringing the guide to life,” Nardine continues. “We wanted to ensure that the guide would be built entirely around personal experiences and recommendations from persons with disabilities.

“By getting feedback from users with a wide range of disabilities, both physical and neurological, we were able to put together a list of places and experiences with diverse accessibility offerings. Often, guides focus solely on physical disabilities and invisible ones such as Autism, despite their high prevalence, are overlooked.”

As with all projects creating the guide came with its own set of challenges. Understanding that accessibility is not one-size-fits-all and that experiences can greatly vary depending on each individual’s specific needs was a steep learning curve for Nardine and her team. “What might be a positive experience for one person can be less than enjoyable one for another,” she explains. “That is why we ensured that every experience mentioned in the guide was recommended by more than one person.”

Educating others in the process was also a challenge that Nardine and the team faced: “We had to make establishments understand that accessibility isn’t just about parking spaces and ramps and tick boxes. It is about creating an overall welcoming experience and adapting to the needs of people and going that extra mile to create a positive barrier-free experience that is inclusive for all.”

Nardine and her team's diligence paid off and the guide was well received by the disability community: “The feedback was entirely positive, which we are particularly proud of. In their own words, the guide made them feel ‘included’ and ‘empowered to try new experiences’.

“The guide was also eagerly received and hosted by major stakeholders on their websites/apps including the Hayya app – the one-stop app for everything FIFA World Cup 2022 related as well as the Visit Qatar website. As for the QF website, our most visited page during the World Cup period was the accessibility guide – a testament to the gap it was able to successfully fill.”

There’s no doubt that the FIFA World Cup, hosted by Qatar last year, played a key role in exposing Qataris to a disability, something that Nardine believes kickstarted their shift in mindset. “It allowed people to reflect on questions of equity, access, and inclusion and made them realise being accessible really isn’t that difficult – specifically when considered within the initial design stage of any planning process as opposed to an afterthought.

“The various accessibility initiatives that were seen during the World Cup started conversations around accessibility in schools, recreation spaces, sports and fitness venues, and more.”

Since the World Cup and the launch of the guide, the Qatar Foundation have had establishments reach out to them to enquire about how they can become more accessible. “We’ve had businesses ask us where they can get their menu made in Braille or what they can do to improve accessibility for the deaf community,” says Nardine. “These small, yet consistent, steps taken out of a desire to be accessible and socially inclusive can form the building blocks for a progressive society where people of all abilities have access to equal opportunities.”

However, the buck doesn’t stop at the World Cup. Nardine and the Qatar Foundation are determined to weave accessibility into everything they do.

“We want to continue making Qatar more accessible,” says Nardine. “Whether it is through improving the physical accessibility of Education City – QF’s flagship development – or by developing inclusive workplace policies, hiring practices, and adapting existing programs and offerings to include people of all abilities.

“A key takeaway for us has been that accessibility and inclusion must be at the heart of all design-thinking processes and part of the early planning stages. Accessibility is not just ‘nice to have’, it is a fundamental right that benefits everyone. A level playing field – one in which people of all abilities have access to equal opportunities – allows us to drive innovation to new heights, and we reap notÌę just social benefits but also financial and economic benefits.”

Sami Rahman is a freelance lifestyle writer based in London.Ìę

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