START – activating and integrating people with disabilities through adapted traditional sports and games

The main goals of our Project were, among others, to promote traditional sports and games (TSG) as an original, valuable and innovative type of grassroots sports and to encourage people with disabilities to actively participate in such kind of physical activity together with able-bodied. We aimed at adapting 4 selected TSG- traditional sports from Project Partner countries to the need of people with disabilities to increase their quality of life, health and level of social integration and to promote cultural exchange between them and able-bodied as well as among Project Partners.Among our detailed goals, were: – to expand possibilities of people with disabilities to participate actively in physical education, sport and social life,– to equip Project Participants with increased competencies and qualifications in sport,– to transfer the knowledge through educational workshops and awareness-raising activities on value of physical activity and traditional sports in relation to its social inclusion and health benefits role, – to set a network of cooperation between Project Partners in the field of TSG.We achieved all these aims by organizing the following activities : 1. Implementing preparations.2. Kick-off meeting – a workshop for the Project animators in Bulgaria.3. The development of adaptation of the traditional sports for persons with disabilities. 4. Preparation of a “Guide of adapted traditional sports for persons with disabilities” and production of equipment sets for each partners.5. Arranging local activities using adapted traditional sports in each country.6. Summary meeting in Poland.7. The Project co-ordination and monitoring.8. Promotion (dissemination). 9. Evaluation.10. Budget reporting.Outcomes:1. Adaptation of 4 TSG :2. The equipment for TSG-4 sets for 4 partners3.“Guide of adapted traditional sports for persons with disabilities” 5 languages 4. Local activities using adapted TSG in each country;20 activities in 4 countries over 500 participants5. Kick-off meeting in Bulgaria; Total 27 persons, 7 days stay6. Summary meeting in Poland; Total 21 persons - 7 days7. Promotional materials ; 5 roll-ups , 100 t-shirts , 100 flash memory Outcomes of the Project:– preparation of a “Guide of adapted traditional sports for persons with disabilities”. We included in it an important information on all traditional sports used in the Project and adapted to the needs of people with disabilities, such as: history/origins of each game, descriptions of rules of playing, number of players, surface/ground for playing, equipment needed and possible adaptations to the needs of people with various disabilities, – producing of sets of equipment for each TSG and distributing them among Partners, – dissemination of adapted TSG in various places – we organized special project activities in Project countries during which hundreds of participants were actively playing in 4 TSG– social integration – thanks to these activities, people with disabilities have had great opportunities to play together with able-bodied and to integrate in a social world of sport and physical activity,– promotion of TSG – thanks to this Project 4 TSG were promoted in Project Partners and via social media, – stimulation of creativity of the specialists working in the field of disability, physical activity and rehabilitation through the new form of activities (TSG),– search for new, better, more effective ways to use TSG in working with disabled people, their rehabilitation and effective support,– socio-cultural integration among Partners,– international exchanging of good practises and experiences in the field of TSG, physical culture and working with people with disabilities,– making new friends and establish a good atmosphere for future projects.