INclusion4ALL: sport as a tool for community inclusion

IN4ALL is a collaborative project between 4 social organizations in the framework of ERASMUS+ SPORT programme. The main objective of the project is to promote the social inclusion of people with disabilities (mainly intellectual) through the practice of healthy physical activity and sports. The purpose of all participating organizations is to support vulnerable groups and each one, through sport and physical activity, has a concrete approach to achieve this. The exchange of experiences and good practices of each participating entity has increased the knowledge and raise awareness about the current situation of the practice of sport and physical activity in the most vulnerable groups. The 18-month-long project raised three transnational meetings. These meetings were used to show the way in which sports and physical activity are addressed in the group of people with disabilities and also as a room for debate. As planned we shared good practises and knowledge by organizing specific local events using the participant’s habitual approach. As follows: On April 2018 in Girona (Catalonia, Spain), we shared the IN4ALL Worldwide Week of Physical Activity and Health. Fundació Ramon Noguera Group hosted the Worldwide Week of Physical Activity and Health that culminated with the celebration of the World Day for Physical Activity (6th April). During the week we hosted a round table to debate with local stakeholders and IN4ALL partnership “Sport as a tool for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the community”. On September 2018 in Vicenza (Italy), we shared the IN4ALL Accessible sports tourism activities hosted by Primavera 85. We tested different sport tourism activities and the organization’s approach of inclusion through inclusive holidays and sustainable mobility. We visited the accessible Holiday House in Asiago (Casa Sant’Antonio) were we practised Nordic walking (in the surrounding forests) and we visit the Bike Point Longare. With their different types of accessible bikes (supported when required by electrical power) everybody can enjoy a cycle route combining culture, gastronomy and sport. On May 2009 in Brasschaat (Belgium) we participated in IN4ALL Netball Tournament – NEKAREA. Rotonde organized a regional netball tournament with 60 teams of 32 organizations in Antwerp (big teams, lots of volunteers, inclusive competition, games, fair play, etc.). Trainer’s tips and tricks were addressed – after 35 years of Nekarea the rulebook was revised and edited in 6 different languages (i.e. Dutch, English, Catalan, Spanish, Italian and Slovenian). The conclusions and final meeting of the project was done. APGA accompanied all events by providing expertise in monitoring and evaluation of sports activities, physical activity and health and participating as well in the debates and discussion sessions. They also presented one approach to inclusion of PWD through sports, that is, the Dolphin swimmers group (Velenje Swim Club) and Halliwick method. Before the first TPM a preparation phase took place, reporting the state of play at each country, as well as knowing each other better and preparing the future TPMs. For our continuous communication we did a monthly Skype meeting. Moreover, each week, was the turn of one member of the partnership to provide a “news” related to their approach. The weekly shared activity was posted in our blog so at the end, in the News section, we have a pool (potential database) of inclusive sports and adapted physical activities. They are a pool of examples of how sport is used as a tool for inclusion of people with disabilities.