International Day of Persons with Disabilities is observed on 3rd December annually, and to mark the occasion the Foundation will host a sensory experience at Old Trafford at Manchester United Women’s first match at the Theatre of Dreams this season.

The sensory room will allow children with special educational needs and disabilities to experience a matchday in a comfortable and calming environment. 

There have already been plenty of standout moments from events throughout the week, which began with the Foundation bringing together participants from its Ability Counts programme and Manchester United’s Regional Talent Club [RTC] for an inclusive football tournament.

Ability Counts players joined in with small-sided games with the RTC’s Under-10s and Under-13s teams to promote inclusion and encourage both sets of players to develop their communication and teamwork skills.

Shriya, a goalkeeper, was one of 10 Ability Counts participants – whose ages ranged from eight to 15 – involved in the tournament, which also saw members of the RTC U10s team complete a disability awareness workshop.

“It’s good to play with them, you get more opportunities to learn, and you get to play with different players,” explained 15-year-old Shriya.

“It’s been really good; I’ve had chances to receive and pass on the ball, it’s made me feel included and it’s been fun to meet new people.

“They have been very welcoming and very nice to me.”

Francesca, a member of the RTC’s U13s, also enjoyed the experience, which she felt would carry long-term benefits for her and her teammates.

“For us, it’s been a good opportunity to show our leadership skills, and for the other [Ability Counts] girls, it’s been good for them to show what they can do,” said Francesca. “It’s been a great night.

“I feel like I’ve played better because when you are speaking, you are helping them and you feel good, they feel good, and you play better as a team.”

Further events have included an inclusive sports day at Seashell Trust, which brought together children from five partner special schools and three mainstream partner primary schools. A range of innovative activities included children wearing a blindfold to play blind football, cricket and rugby, plus many other sports.

The celebrations continued at Old Trafford with primary school children and teachers, from 10 partner schools, attending an inclusive language workshop at Old Trafford, which encouraged children to challenge the language and terminology commonly used in society to describe disabled people.

Partner school pupils also visited Manchester Airport for another inclusive event through Pure Innovations, with engaging, hands-on and realistic role-play activities to offer an insight into a variety of careers on offer in the aviation industry.

“It’s been a fantastic week of activities to celebrate our disabled participants for International Day of Persons with Disabilities and highlight the opportunities that we provide throughout the year,” said the Foundation’s inclusion manager, Alex Wilson.

“Children have enjoyed a wide range of fun and educational activities, which have not only supported their physical and mental wellbeing but encouraged them to see that they can continue to pursue their goals and the different avenues they can take to do so.”

The Foundation engaged with over 20,000 unique participants during the 2021/22 season, 12 per cent of whom have a disability, and its provision to support disabled children and young people includes working alongside six partner special schools.

Moreover, weekly sessions through the Rooney Inclusive Reds, Ability Counts and Powerchair Football programmes provide opportunities for young people to be empowered and inspired through the power of football.

For more information about the Foundation’s disability and inclusion projects, please click here.