Sport Innovative Action

Connecting sport to the theme of social inclusion of people affected by intellectual disabilities means starting to undertake a virtuous path that has been little explored.Sport is extremely relevant to boost the socialisation of this type of people, as it represents the engine for a better growth and exchange of views between them, but also for their parents, professionals and sport clubs.The interaction between this two worlds can bring an infinite number of benefits, such as the improvement of wellness and the quality of life of disabled people and their families, offering them the possibility to make new experiences, have a healthy life style, find gratification in their job, build new relationships with other disabled people and develop abilities for their own independence. S.I.A. aims to bring all the acquired skills during the past years to the next level, creating occasions of dialogue with other European organizations, to share, compare, merge and innovate methodologies, practices and tools, with the ultimate scope to create paths of social inclusion for mentally disabled athletes. The innovative aspect of the Sport Inclusive Action project lies in the effort to identify a common model of intervention that would concretely facilitate the inclusion of athletes with intellectual and relational disabilities in common sports activities, recognizing and understanding their peculiarities and specific needs. The final purpose and challenge would be the perception of the experience as a real inclusive activity, where each athlete is supported by trained technical staff, rather than a mere social insertion. The sport experience is intended to be a key drive for social inclusion, as constitutes an important educational experience for all athletes involved, either with and without disabilities.