Inclusive initiative “From a Healthy Person to Healthy Society”
Since August 2018, an inclusive initiative “From a Healthy Person to Healthy Society” has been implemented in Belarus by the NGO “Spinal Disabled”.
The main idea of the initiative is to promote a healthy lifestyle and increase motor activity of people with disabilities. This is an important contribution to achieving Sustainable Development Goals:
Goal 3 – Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
Goal 9 – Industrialization, innovation and infrastructure
Goal 10 – Reduce inequality
Goal 11 – Sustainable cities and communities
Goal 17 – Partnership for sustainable development.
The outcome of the initiative was summarized at a round table at the Centre for Inclusive Culture, held in Gomel on 28 February 2020.
More than 500 people benefited from the initiative’s activities.
As part of the implementation of the inclusive initiative, a regional interdepartmental working group was formed, which included representatives of the Committee on Labour, Employment and Social Protection, the Department of Sport and Tourism, the Main Department of Education of the Gomel Regional Executive Committee and public associations of people with disabilities. The working group held meetings in the districts of the Gomel region and developed an interaction scheme to address issues related to the promotion of the rights and interests of people with disabilities. It also monitored 15 sports facilities in Gomel for a barrier-free environment, and a barrier-free environment was created in the Sovetsky district of Gomel (replacement of three entrance doors, repair of stairs, installation of handrails, and a ramp at the entrance).
Since August 2018, as part of the initiative, NGO “Spinal Disabled” has provided the organization and conduct of two inclusive runs “Together we can de everything”, a two-day regional sports competition in Paralympic sports among people with disabilities, the organization of the work of sections in athletics, swimming, boccia, powerlifting and table tennis in the Paralympic and Deflympic SOCOR and in the Sovetsky district sports center, purchase of sports equipment for training process in the Paralympic and Deflympic SOCOR. In addition, five people with motor disabilities jumped with parachutes, five specialists were trained to conduct training process in five types of invasport. An information campaign was conducted at the local level.
Gennady Zolotarev, Chairman of the NGO “Spinal Disabled”, notes that the initiative has a future: “The sustainability of its development lies in the fact that trained coaches in five sports will continue to work with people with disabilities. Purchased equipment will improve the quality of the training process. Creating a barrier-free environment with the support of the Gomel Oblast and Gomel City Executive Committees will help people with disabilities to visit the centres and sports facilities on a permanent basis. Joint work with public associations of people with disabilities and interested government agencies under the initiative has led us to create a coalition “Accessible Environment – Inclusive Belarus” to more quickly address issues of people with disabilities. The Inclusive Run, the Inclusive City exhibition and the regional Spartakiada will become annual. During the implementation of the initiative 14 sportsmen with disabilities became winners and prize-winners of the championships of the Republic of Belarus in sports, 3 persons fulfilled the qualification category of Master of Sports of the Republic of Belarus, 7 persons — Candidate Master of Sports of the Republic of Belarus.
The initiative was supported under the international technical assistance project “Prevention of Non-communicable Diseases, Promotion of Healthy Lifestyle and Support to Modernization of the Healthcare System in the Republic of Belarus” (BELMED), financed by the European Union and implemented by the UNDP, WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA in cooperation with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus.