METER MATTERS - Proposal of criteria & model for co-funding inclusion in sport

The Meter Matters project will explore the field of inclusion in sport with the aim of: a) proposing appropriate criteria for co-founding sports programs involving people with different abilities in mainstream sports organisations and b) proposing a model for co-founding inclusion in sport at the national level. Based on some research in the field of inclusion in sport and the successful Erasmus + project like "Promoting Social Inclusion of persons with Mental Disabilities through sport", some important facts are already known such as: (1) which groups of people are involved in different inclusive sport programs (people with different abilities, people with mental challenges, former top athletes, senior athletes - veterans, etc.), (2) which types of inclusive sport programs exist (rehabilitation, recreational, competitive) and (3) the different implementation areas of inclusive sport programs (sports, social clubs, health centers, corporate environments, etc.). In practice, we already know the providers of inclusive sports programs. We also find national legislation that supports inclusive participation. However, we find that there is a gap between practice and EU directives in terms of sustained support for inclusive sport programs in the form of co-funding from state and local (municipal) resources. We observe a significant lack of transparency in the regulation of the field. Considering that there are both (1) relevant programs and (2) inclusive legislation and policies, the reason for the missing article is reflected in the undeveloped criteria for measuring inclusion in sport. Large sports programs are usually co-funded on the basis of spectator numbers (number of athletes involved) and performance (sporting outcome, medals). In the project Meter Matters we will look for criteria for co-funding inclusion in sport. Based on the proposals for measuring inclusion in sport, we will also create a model for co-funding inclusive sport programs at national level.