Qatar Foundation (QF) is set to welcome families and children with autism, as well as members of the wider community, to its annual World Autism Awareness Day celebration in Al Shaqab, Education City, on Saturday, 20 April.
The event will be hosted by Renad Academy – a school under the umbrella of the QF Pre-University Education (PUE), dedicated to children who have been diagnosed with mild to moderate Autism Spectrum Disorder – and will include a range of fun family-oriented autism awareness, recreational, and sports activities.
Sherri Miller, Director of Renad Academy, said that through these World Autism Awareness Day activities, they aim to promote and enhance awareness, acceptance, and understanding of autism among the wider community.
We want to demonstrate, through this celebration, that while autism may be a permanent condition, treatment and therapy leads to improvements. We believe that this awareness event showcases our commitment to serving the whole community.’
The event will be held in the Indoor Arena of Al Shaqab, from 10 am to 3 pm, and will include an Autism Awareness Walk, organised by the QF Community Development, across a 300-metre stretch of the venue. The walk will start at 10 am.
Other activities organised by PUE and Community Development include horse-riding, storytelling sessions, an obstacle course, interactive games, arts and crafts, inflatables and football matches, golf, volleyball, and other sporting activities.
The World Autism Awareness Day celebration forms part of a calendar of PUE events held throughout April. Other activities include an autism-friendly event at Qatar National Library on 23 April, as well as an informational booths at the Mall of Qatar, Sidra Medicine, the 2015 building (Qatar Foundation Headquarters), and at Multaqa (Education City Student Center).
World Autism Awareness Day was first proposed by HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, to the United Nations in 2007, and was adopted without a vote by the UN General Assembly. The first World Autism Awareness Day was celebrated on 2 April 2008.
For updates and more information about the World Autism Day activities organised by Qatar Foundation, visit qf.org.qa.
