Global State of Inclusion Letter highlights widening teacher shortages and calls for global investment in inclusive education
Special Olympics has issued a global call to action, highlighting that a critical shortage of teachers worldwide is threatening access to education for millions of children, particularly students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
The warning comes in the organisation’s 2026 State of Inclusion Letter, titled “The Year of the Teacher: Teaching Inclusion in a Divided World,” authored by Special Olympics Chairman Dr. Timothy Shriver. The letter declares 2026 the Year of the Teacher and urges governments, donors, and global education leaders to prioritise long-term investment in recruiting, training, and supporting teachers to advance inclusive education worldwide.
According to estimates from UNESCO, the global education system will require 44 million new teachers by 2030 to meet basic education demands. In low-income countries, up to 90 per cent of children with disabilities remain out of school, with the largest gaps occurring in regions where the need for inclusive education is greatest.
A Global Emergency for Learning and Belonging
Developed in collaboration with the Special Olympics Global Center for Inclusion in Education in Abu Dhabi, the 2026 State of Inclusion Letter highlights the growing strain on education systems amid conflict, displacement, climate disruption, and rising mental health challenges.
Dr. Shriver stresses that in these uncertain conditions, students with intellectual disabilities are often the first to be excluded from classrooms and the last to be considered in education policy and planning. He describes an escalating global teacher shortage, noting that educators worldwide are carrying unsustainable burdens that have resulted in overcrowded classrooms, diminished teaching quality, and fewer learning opportunities, conditions that disproportionately affect students with IDD.
According to Dr. Shriver: “Teachers are the frontline builders of empathy, inclusion, and stability. But their ability to bridge divides and foster belonging is under threat, and they cannot shoulder this responsibility alone. Inclusion must be recognized as a critical human right and a key building block for a just and flourishing future. Governments, foundations, corporations, and multi-lateral development organizations must change their levels of commitment if a deeper crisis is to be averted and more lives lost. Inclusion must be funded, measured, and maintained with the same urgency as roads, bridges, and health systems.”
Dr. Shriver further explains: “When teachers disappear, opportunity disappears, and the most marginalized students suffer most. Without well-prepared teachers, inclusive and equitable education cannot be achieved, and the most marginalized students suffer most.”
Four Priority Focus areas for Global Education Leaders
In the 2026 State of Inclusion Letter, Dr. Shriver outlines four urgent focus areas for governments, donors, and education leaders:
- Long-term funding: Move beyond short-term budgets by committing to at least five-year funding cycles, with 3% annual increases linked to inflation, to strengthen recruitment and retention, including clear pathways for teachers with disabilities..
- Mandatory inclusivity training: Make inclusion a core requirement in teacher preparation by embedding inclusive practice and the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework-which the UAE is currently piloting-into all teacher licensing programmes by 2028, instead of treating it as an optional add-on.
- Teacher well-being: Improve working conditions and elevate the profession so educators are properly supported, respected, and more likely to stay in classrooms long-term.
- School-based inclusion programmes: Expand school-based initiatives that build belonging, including Special Olympics Unified Sports®, student leadership opportunities, and peer mentoring, bringing students with and without intellectual disabilities together in daily school life.
The UAE’s Role in Advancing Global Inclusion
The 2026 State of Inclusion Letter is anchored in the work of the Special Olympics Global Center for Inclusion in Education, based in Abu Dhabi. Established through the generosity of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, the Center builds on the legacy of the Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019 and reflects the UAE’s long-standing commitment to inclusion and opportunity for people of determination.
From Abu Dhabi, the Global Center supports partners worldwide in designing and scaling inclusive education initiatives. Through the Unified Champion Schools® programme, schools bring together students with and without intellectual disabilities through inclusive sports, whole-school engagement, and youth leadership opportunities.
Commenting on the work of the Global Center for Inclusion in Education, Ahmad Al Gergawi, Director of Communications, Partnership and Outreach, said:
“Schools are places of belonging, and teachers are at the heart of making inclusion real. The UAE is at the forefront of shaping a new global standard for inclusion, guided by a simple conviction: every child deserves a teacher who sees them, supports them, and expects them to succeed. Through the Global Center for Inclusion in Education, we are sharing practical solutions from Abu Dhabi that empower teachers and school communities to include every learner and ensure students with and without intellectual disabilities thrive together.”
In 2025, the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity announced a major new grant to Special Olympics International to expand this work, enabling the Global Center to reach more countries, equip educators with practical tools for inclusion, and support young people to become advocates for inclusive schools and communities.
You can read the annual State of Inclusion Letter HERE
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