About the Project

“Inclusive Swimming Competition- Beyond Handicaps” (ISC-Beyond Handicaps) is an Erasmus+ Sports Project, co-funded by the European Union, with the partnership of Turkey, Italy, Portugal, Bulgaria and Greece. The project aims to:

  • encourage sports clubs to bring together physically disabled and non-disabled kids in the pool, promoting active participation and social inclusion of physically disabled children through swimming activities alongside their non-disabled peers.
  • increase physical activity for both disabled and non-disabled children, creating an environment for mutual interaction.
  • ultimately, establish a new type of competition in the sports sector that pairs disabled and non-disabled children.

Goals of the “Inclusive Swimming Competition – Beyond Handicaps” Project are:

    • Starting the Change Together: Initiate change collaboratively with sports clubs/NGOs, coaches, families, communities, and stakeholders.
    • Supporting: Provide physical and psychological support to children during paired swimming activities.
    • Acceptance: Embrace self-acceptance and acknowledge differences to foster empathy.
    • Developing Self-Esteem
    • Enhancing Social Skills
    • Accepting Defeat Gracefully
    • Cultivating Discipline
    • Emphasizing Teamwork: “There’s No I in Team”
    • Encouraging Healthy Competition
    • Creation of the Inclusive Sport Competition Program
    • Focusing on Sustainability

Project Activities are:

  1. Developing the Inclusive Sport Competition Program.
  2. Training swimming coaches on the newly developed program.
  3. Implementing the program with physically disabled and non-disabled children aged 10-14.
  4. Organizing local and international competitions.

The project begins with engaging families by supporting their children through swimming activities and enhancing awareness and knowledge about opportunities. It involves sports clubs and NGOs by training coaches and offering sports courses and activities for both disabled and non-disabled children. It engages society (local communities) by attracting local interest and stakeholders by encouraging the organization of events. Ultimately, the aim is to create a significant synergy to organize an EU joint event for disabled and non-disabled children.