Wider accessibility in Qatar
Initiative description: Promote best-practice accessibility solutions in Qatar through appropriate consultation and engagement with expert partners and community organisations. This will include the continued development of the Accessibility Forum to engage with disability experts and disabled users, the establishment of working groups with stakeholders that can drive enhancements in the physical infrastructure and services in Qatar, and the implementation of audits to ensure accessibility objectives are being achieved.
Hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ has played a transformative role in making the State of Qatar more accessible for disabled people and people with limited mobility. Through this initiative, substantial improvements have been made to a wide range of infrastructure and services to accommodate the needs of the disabled community and all beneficiaries of good access. Greater accessibility has been delivered across transportation networks, accommodation, shopping malls, libraries, universities, hospitals, and many cultural and recreational locations throughout Qatar, leaving a legacy which will be felt for generations to come.
Accessibility partnerships
To further support and enhance accessibility and inclusivity for disabled people during but also beyond the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) established an Accessibility Forum in 2016. The Forum is made up of disabled people and more than 30 different organisations that represent them. It was set up with the aim of ensuring a seamless fan experience for disabled people during the tournament, through testing, evaluating and consulting on plans before they were implemented to ensure the best outcomes.
Members of the Forum represent a diverse group of people, including wheelchair users, people with limited mobility, deaf and blind people, intellectual and learning disabled people, people with mental health issues and people with sensory requirements. This assisted in ensuring that all access requirements were taken into consideration.
In the lead up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, the Forum hosted a range of workshops that explored ways in which disabled people could take part in the organisation of the tournament and determine which requirements needed to be fulfilled to ensure an optimal fan experience for disabled people attending the tournament. The Forum visited various stadiums to test a range of accessibility features and provide feedback. As a result, a series of tournament and legacy accessibility enhancements have been achieved, particularly with regards to infrastructure and transportation.
Qatar Foundation, a leader in the promotion of accessibility & inclusivity in Qatar and a key member of the Forum, played a significant role in the delivery of an accessible tournament and will continue to play a central role in supporting and driving accessibility initiatives throughout Qatar. Qatar Foundation created the national accessibility guide ‘Qatar for All’, trained accessibility volunteers that supported fans at the FIFA Fan Festival™ and other locations, and supported the delivery of sensory rooms in stadiums and other locations such as the FIFA Fan Festival™, the Corniche Activation and Education City Last Mile. In addition, Qatar Foundation continues to support the provision of sporting and leisure opportunities for disabled people across Qatar, while improving awareness within the community about accessibility issues in the form of educational materials, workshops, etc.
The Accessibility Forum: Making Qatar more accessible
Transport and public realm accessibility
Guidance: The FIFA Fan Guide, available on the digital Hayya (Fan ID) app to all fans who attended the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, as well as the public, provided comprehensive information regarding all aspects of the Tournament including important accessibility information for disabled fans. This included accessibility information for each stadium, transportation, and accommodation.
In addition, Qatar Foundation’s Qatar for All guide – available in multiple formats, including text-only and braille versions – was built entirely around personal experiences and recommendations from disabled people in Qatar. It was also available via the Hayya (Fan ID) app.
Airport: Most spectators who attended the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ arrived through Hamad International Airport (HIA). HIA offers barrier-free access, reserved car parking, adapted check-in counters, and adapted washrooms to make travelling more comfortable for disabled passengers. Tournament organisers worked closely with the Qatar Company for Airports Operation and Management (MATAR) and airlines to further enhance an accessible experience. An example included sufficient measures being put in place to build capacity around accessibility awareness and gaining a further understanding of potential individual visitor requirements via pre-flight information to ensure appropriate access and/or dedicated assistance preparations could be delivered.
Metro: Transport connectivity and accessibility was crucial to achieving ease of movement and equal services for all visitors. The Doha Metro significantly expanded its public transport network, with accessibility for disabled people being a core consideration. All 37 stations are accessible and provided disabled people improved connectivity and travel times to key destinations during the tournament such as the stadiums, visitor attractions and accommodation sites.
Doha Metro’s accessibility features include:
level access boarding;
dedicated seating for people with limited mobility;
spaces for wheelchair users;
family areas; and
tactile directional paving inside the stations for blind and partially sighted people.
Road transport: The SC worked closely with Mowasalat to ensure that significant accessibility improvements to both the public bus services and taxi operations were made well ahead of the Tournament. Karwa Taxis provided a new fleet of 45 wheelchair accessible taxis and mini buses to expand the volume and availability of travel options for disabled people and people with limited mobility. These taxis and mini buses had a dedicated drop-off point close to stadium entrances. In addition, Mowasalat introduced a fleet of 858 low floor transit buses with ramp access (one wheelchair space per bus), 70 white fleet vehicles (mini buses / taxis) with ramp access and space for 2 or 3 wheelchairs together with dedicated Stadium Express Buses and shuttle buses with accessibility features. All these travel options were explained in FIFA Fan Guide to inform and enable disabled people to plan their journeys with ease and confidence.
Accessible routes and public realm: In collaboration with the Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’ and the Ministry of Transport, a network of key routes that are safe and accessible for all users have been provided. This includes an increased number of dropped kerbs and raised crossings, wider footpaths, less pedestrian and footpath obstructions, tactile paving, as well as improved signage and connectivity to key facilities such as transport hubs, accommodation, and places of leisure.
Last mile: To assist disabled spectators on their arrival from public transport hubs to stadium gates, Mobility Assistance Points were set up within the Last Mile areas offering golf cart transfer and assistance. A total of 72 golf carts were made available – 36 six-seater carts and 36 wheelchair accessible carts – in all FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ stadiums’ Last Mile sites to assist wheelchair users and spectators with limited mobility quick and easy access to stadium security gates. This number of golf carts was deemed insufficient closer to the tournament based on distances to access transport points and parking, actions were taken to transfer wheelchairs and golf carts from stadium outer perimeter to last mile operations.
“What we have seen in the area of accessibility since Qatar won the rights to host the World Cup has been life-changing for the disabled community. We now have a modern transportation network that is equipped for all different needs, as well as greater accessibility in museums, shopping destinations and public spaces.”
Accessible entertainment
The Qatar for All accessibility guide – available on the Hayya (Fan ID) app – provided fans with a comprehensive guide to a range of attractions and activities around Qatar that were accessible to disabled people. Such attractions included accessible museums, golf clubs, parks and gardens, children’s recreational places, sports clubs, and even beaches.
Many of the facilities presented in the guide were upgraded to accommodate a range of accessibility requirements after being inspired by the extraordinary efforts taken by tournament organisers to deliver an inclusive and accessible FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. These upgrades will continue to benefit disabled people in Qatar as well as future visitors for many years to come.
Accessible accommodation
Accessible accommodation options were made available for people with varying access requirements during the tournament. Specific consideration was given to ensure that adequate wheelchair-accessible rooms were made available with easy access and adapted bathrooms in hotels. Based on its hotel classification standards and audits, Qatar Tourism identified over 400 accessible hotel rooms in hotels. Further accessible rooms were also available in cruise ships. The accommodation agency that managed the accommodation stock during the tournament was able to take requests for accessible rooms and propose options to spectators as needed.
To support the accommodation sector in providing a welcoming, safe, and accessible tournament experience for everyone, accessibility training sessions were delivered to over 900 participants from official and non-official hotels. Sessions were delivered with the support of Focusright and Qatar Tourism, and included case studies from Radison Blu, Ezdan and Intercontinental hotels. Follow-up materials were sent to all participants to facilitate distribution to accommodation partner staff, these included session recordings, presentation slides and a list of additional resources.