Doha, December 12
Away from the roaring noise, lights and fireworks of World Cup games, there’s a safe space for fans who might get overwhelmed in a stadium environment.
The sensory rooms, at three stadiums in Qatar, provide a calm refuge for children and young adults with autism, learning difficulties or other sensory access requirements.
Located at the stadium skyboxes at the Al Bayt, Education City and Lusail stadiums, the rooms feature soft furnishings, noise cancelling headphones and interactive tools and toys to help children cope with the loud atmosphere and allow 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.”
The dimmed-lit rooms include soft cushions, soothing colourful lights and rising bubble tubes and boards mounted on walls that provide different textures to help people calm down and refocus. Fans are also provided with sensory bags that include noise-cancelling headphones, weighted lap pads and fidget toys like plastic clappers and gloves.
Large floor to ceiling windows let families keep an eye on the field. The ultimate goal is to gradually introduce fans to the game, allowing them to sit in the stands for periods at a time and then returning to the sensory room when needed, Alison Saraf, co-founder of Sensory Souk, said at the 80,000-capacity Lusail Stadium, where the World Cup final will be played. — AP
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