Sport Inclusion - Full participation in sport by persons with disabilities

The InSport project: Sport Inclusion - Full Participation in Sport by Persons with Disabilities was co-funded by the European Union [EU] under the Erasmus + program and ran from January 2018 to December 2020. It is coordinated by the APCAS-Cerebral Palsy Association of Almada Seixal (Portugal) and has different partners: European Paralympic Committee [EPC] (Austria); TAFISA - The Association for International Sport for All (Germany); UNESCO Chair, Tralee Institute of Technology (Ireland); Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth (Portugal); and Knowledge Center for Sport Netherlands (The Netherland). This project focuses on promoting the full participation and social inclusion of persons with disabilities in and through sports, physical activity and the promotion of healthy living habits, through:•Research and formulation of recommendations for inclusive practices, promoting the development of a European Model of Inclusion in Sport;•Stimulation of social and sports participation, of personal and social development;•Training of technicians for cooperation between areas (health, education, clubs and municipalities) and their professional qualification for inclusion;•Develop the role of promotion and encouragement of physical activity and the adoption of healthy lifestyles;•Create a knowledge platform accessible to all;•Stimulate volunteering and active participation in society and sport, as expressed in the European Union guidelines on social inclusion and equal opportunities.The InSport project aimed to safeguard the right to access a sport-related opportunities by promoting multi-sectoral collaboration, considering important: 1. adopt an ecological approach, which positions people at the center and examines their relationship with environmental facts, considering contextual factors-individual, social and physical-that facilitate or hinder participation in sport; 2. stimulate multi-sectoral partnerships to ensure life-long participation in sport and healthy and active lifestyles, finding synergies between the different sectors involved in the promotion of sport - sport clubs, municipalities, the education sector, and health sector - where everyone should work together to articulate actions at all levels (individual, meso and macro). Based on research, an example of good practice in implementing this dynamic would be the creation of a Service Point, a central structure of interconnection between the different sectors that coordinates action to encourage participation in sport and provide guidance and support for people with disabilities.During the project, the InSport consortium has developed a set of tools and guidebooks to support professionals working in different sectors to promote inclusion of people with disabilities in and through sport. Thus, the outputs created within the project were:1.Guide with analysis of good practices in the field of inclusion through sport2.Guide with steps for the development of the European Model of Inclusion in Sport3.Guide of intervention support material4.Course Curriculum (with the preparation and availability of online training modules)5.Website: www.in-sport.eu6.Guide of actions promoting the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the sports fieldIn short, the InSport project made all of its products available via online (through the website) to the entire population and community, in order to promote and continue the development of full participation and social inclusion of persons with disabilities in and through physical activity.