Sport and physical activity are important factors for good health and wellbeing in modern society, they can play a major role in preventing illness and the development of chronic diseases. Engagement in sport is fundamental to reducing the social and economic costs resulting from physical inactivity.
People with disabilities have fewer opportunities to participate in sport programs and physical activity on the EU scene.
In order to meet the needs of people with disabilities, promote their rights and participation in sport and physical activity rehabilitation centres must develop support services that enable disabled people’s long-term involvement in sport. This needs to be supported by sport centres becoming more accessible to people with disabilities and more ambitious about their involvement in sport, as people with disabilities now represent a market of 50 million people across Europe.
The aim of S+4ALL is to create tools that will support more diverse and higher quality of sport on offer at European level for PwD. To achieve this aim the project will involve Rehabilitation Centres, Sport Centres and Facilities.
7 organisations across Europe are involved in this collaborative partnership. They all have extensive experience of providing rehabilitation, adapted sport and social services. Their expertise in the social - health - sport process will be invaluable to supporting the project to achieve its aims
Activities will be managed in 3 main areas:
1. Benchmarking activities - mapping, designing, testing, validating and implementing innovative practices in sport provision for people with disabilities
2. Benchlearning activities – interactive benchlearning activities in 6 international workshops for training and developing European networks in the field of sport
3. R&D activities: resulting in the issue of a Handbook/Best Practice Guide “Recommendations for Inclusive Sport”; “Competencies and Skills of Sport Instructors”; “Assessment tools”.
In addition, to strengthen a holistic and systemic approach to sport and disability an operating unit of Sport Medicine will test, compare and analyse the proposed Innovative Practices as a means of preventing illness or chronic diseases amongst disabled people over 50 years of age.
EQUASS will be providing:
- External R&D support for Overview and testing of Innovative practices Quality Processes in Sport
- External R&D for developing a Cross Reference Study Sport vs HEPA
Link to Sport+4all website: www.sportplus4all.eu