Abu Dhabi, UAE, May 3, 2023: NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) in collaboration with Special Olympics UAE and the Applied & Behavioral Training Institute (ABTI) will host the Annual Inclusion Conference on Sunday, May 7 at the NYUAD Conference Center. The conference, formerly known as the Autism Inclusion Conference, is open to the public and brings together families, caregivers, educators, leading professionals, and community members interested in inclusive education for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD).

 

The theme of this year’s conference is advancing inclusion within educational settings in the UAE and its purpose is to provide a mutual platform for sharing knowledge and experience from multiple perspectives. Participants will have the opportunity to hear directly from parents, educators, community members, and professionals in the field, and gain a better understanding of what a holistic approach to inclusion looks like and how they can be of better support to individuals with IDD and do their part in advancing inclusion in education.

 

The conference will feature more than 30 speakers from diverse backgrounds who will deliver various talks, workshops and case studies in both English and Arabic.

 

The keynote panel will feature perspectives on inclusion shared by individuals with lived experiences, family members, educators, professionals, and policymakers and includes speakers such as, Nancy Karaan, POD Section Head, Department of Community Development; Arham Zia, Autism Self Advocate; Uzma Asker, Special Needs Coach; Marco Aurelio, Father of Autistic Student; Nof Al Mazrui, Co-Founder, The Developing Child Center; Mohammed Al Shamsi, Vice President, Emirates School Establishment; Samia Zaigham, Unified Champion School Award Recipient, Al Yasat Private School and Tala Al-Ramahi, Senior Director, Crown Prince's Court. 

 

During a session moderated by NYUAD students titled Breaking Down Barriers to Inclusion community members and volunteers will share stories and their own experiences engaging in inclusive activities alongside people with IDD. This session will be an open discussion where panelists will communicate their challenges, highlights, lessons learned, and growth journey, in hopes to inspire other community members to take a step towards engaging in similar activities, get educated, and contribute towards a more inclusive society.