ISCA reunited with organisations who are dedicated to promoting equal opportunities in sport for people with disabilities at the second transnational meeting of the European IDI4SPORT project from 22-24 November in Lisbon, Portugal. The partners are working together to make inclusion for people with disabilities a priority and legacy of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024.

The meeting, hosted at the headquarters of the Instituto Portuguaise do Desporto e Juventude (IPDJ) in Lisbon (Portugal), closed the first phase of the project, which focused on research and the elaboration of a training pathway framework, and started the second phase to focus on the experimentation, by identifying monitors for the implementation of the training pathway and obtaining of the first evaluations of the results obtained. Additionally, advances were also made regarding project’s legacy and sustainability.

France Education International is leading #IDI4SPORT (Inclusion and Disability in and through Sport), a three-year project under European Commission’s Erasmus+ programme that seeks to promote equal opportunity children with disabilities to play sport, with the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games as a background and legacy goal. It is designed to promote social inclusion, increase the participation of children with disabilities and reduce the difficulties they encounter, creating inclusive environments that promote equity and equality. The target groups are teachers, sports coaches, and primary and secondary school children.

 The main milestones of the project are:

• To collect resources and data on sport accessibility for children with disabilities in partner countries to be presented on an online report.
• From there, a tailored training pathway will be created for teachers, sports coaches, and educational staff in multiple formal and non-formal universes: schools, sports clubs, and associations.
• They will participate in the design and evaluation of the training, which will be adapted to national educational contexts and environments.
• It will enable them to discover and appropriate new pedagogical tools, improving their skills and competences.
• The digital training, open to public consultation, will be implemented with children in different educational and sport structures.
• In line with the European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030, a "Generation 2030" label will be created to recognise and value the participants.

The project partners will meet again in Paris in 2024, in connection with the Olympic Games.

Quotes from the IDI4SPORT main partners about the status of the project:
France Education International (FEI): “We find that it goes very well, and we hope that all deadlines would be respected even for the training pathway. We find that during the last consortium meetings each important decision has been made and we are on the way to achieve the Work Package 2 and to start the Work Package 3. This efficiency is thanks to our collective efforts.” FEI was represented at the meeting by Evelyne Huré and Vassilissa Dudyak.

International Sport and Culture Association (ISCA): “According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, every child has a right to practice sports in a healthy, safe environment. Unfortunately, that is not always the case, especially for children and young people with disabilities. On the contrary, access to physical activity and sport is limited and not equal. During the recent fruitful meeting in Lisbon, IDI4SPORT partners have been able to discuss on the project’s progress and take decisions on the next steps for the pilot phase, which will take place in schools and sport clubs in the different partner countries. We feel confident that through this collaboration, we will collectively achieve the goal to build capacity in teachers and sports trainers for them to be able to support more children and youth with disabilities to benefit from being involved in sport whether in school, in the community or at elite levels. Such an initiative will support them in developing friendships, their identity in our communities, and building confidence and independence.” ISCA was represented at the meeting by Katerine Salta.

Institut national supérieur de formation et de recherche pour l'éducation des jeunes handicapés et les enseignements adaptés (INSEI): “We were very pleased to see the partners again and to meet the new people joining the project. This event confirmed our determination to become fully involved in the project's inclusive expertise. We are confident that the training pathway will enable us to move on to the exciting phase of experimentation”. The French INSEI team was represented at the meeting by Caroline Barbot-Bouzit and Marylise Lainard.

National Olympic Committee of North Macedonia (OCNM): “The productive meeting held in Lisbon highlighted the significance of our project, particularly in the context of North Macedonia where there is a scarcity of organisations addressing this crucial topic. The limited availability of data underscores the importance of our initiative, which aims to enhance awareness and maximise the benefits for individuals with disabilities in sports. I believe that through this project, we can establish a pivotal starting point for advancing our cause in this field. Concerning the meeting, there was a positive atmosphere with everyone showing a constructive orientation. Moving forward, I suggest a greater emphasis on practical aspects and simpler examples to ensure a clearer understanding of the topic and the responsibilities of all partners. The host impeccably organised the stay and the meeting, adding to the delightful atmosphere in Lisbon”. The OCNM was represented at the meeting by Caroline Monika Naumovska

University of Macedonia (UOM): “The recent meeting in Lisbon, under the exceptional coordination skills of our project lead showcased not only the importance but also the effectiveness of Project IDI4SPORTS. Evelyne’s and Vassilissa’s excellent organizational skills ensured a seamless and productive gathering, highlighting the commitment to the project's objectives. Paolo’s warm welcoming, humour and creative ideas for the continuation of the project, made the meeting joyful. The meeting itself was a testament to the team's cohesion, with everyone contributing positively and displaying a remarkable level of teamwork. Paolo’s ability to blend serious discussions with a touch of humour added a unique and enjoyable dynamic to the two-day meeting. The success of the Lisbon meeting reinforces our collective dedication to making IDI4SPORTS a transformative force for inclusivity in sports”. The UOM was represented at the meeting by Marianna Karatsiori.

Instituto Portuguaise do Desporto e Juventude (IPDJ): “We discussed during this meeting the work package contents and challenges, with special attention to the training pathway framework, and both experimentation and evaluation phases,, ensuring the necessary adjustments and articulation to overcome the several existing challenges in this area. Along with the strengthening of the group dynamic, the focus on the articulation of the different tasks and deliverables to produce, respecting the demanding timeline defined was essential for the meeting success, and to ensure the necessary quality of project outputs. Fruitful discussions were also made regarding the project legacy and sustainability, envisaging the promotion of more opportunities for practice among people with disabilities. More news to come in the near future! Stay tuned!”. The IPDJ was represented at the meeting by Paulo Rocha.

Instituto España se Mueve (EsM): “The results of this second transnational meeting have been very good: the objectives foreseen at the development level of the project have been met, giving more coherence and packaging to the project thanks to a better understanding and clarity and, finally, even discussing various options to ensure the sustainability of the project in the short, medium and long term once its development stage in the framework of the Erasmus+ program ends”. EsM´s was represented at the meeting by Fernando Soria Hernández and Marc Declercq de la Fuente.

Associate partner The Almada Seixal Cerebral Palsy Association (APCAS) also participated in the meeting through the invitation of the IPDJ. Regarding APCAS, “sharing and collaborative work have been the basis of the IDI4Sport project, which is evolving positively towards its proposed objectives and is contributing to a broad reflection on the inclusion of people with disabilities”. APCAS was represented by at the meeting by Ana Barradas, Patrícia Melo and Marta Dias.

You can find more information about the project here