The FIFA World Cup 2022 has witnessed a lot of excitement, and fireworks across the whole tournament so far. In order to give the fans who might get overwhelmed in a stadium environment, a safe and fun World Cup viewing experience, some of the stadiums in Qatar installed a sensory room for children and young adults with autism.
The “sensory rooms,” at three stadiums in Qatar, provided a calm refuge for these children suffering from learning difficulties or other sensory access requirements.
Located at the stadium skyboxes at the Al Bayt, Education City, and Lusail stadiums, the rooms featured soft furnishings, noise-cancelling headphones and interactive tools and toys to help children cope with the loud atmosphere. It allowed them to alleviate anxiety and enjoy the unique experience of a World Cup game.
“Having a space like this is a respite. It’s like a warm hug,” said Raana Smith, co-founder of Sensory Souk, a Doha-based company that staffs the sensory rooms.
“Everybody should have the right and the opportunity to experience football,” she said. “If someone has limited speech, limited mobility, that shouldn’t be a barrier ever to experience something as wonderful and as crowd-pleasing.” she further added.
The fans were provided with dim-lit rooms that included soft cushions, soothing colorful lights and rising bubble tubes along with boards mounted on walls that provided different textures that helped the fans calm down and refocus.
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