Inclusive Sports Festival for Women with Disabilities

Access Planet Organization collaborated with Cricket Association of the Blind, Nepal in organizing inclusive sports for women with diverse disabilities. The project was carried in the support of Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) supported by US Embassy. The project aimed in providing opportunities for women in between the ages of 10-30 years of different types of disabilities to take part in sports. Following sports related activities were organized under this project: Cricket for women/girls with blindness, Boccia for girls/women with severe physical and intellectual disabilities, Basketball for girls in wheelchair, Race for deaf girls, Swimming for girls/women with different types of disabilities. The project has contributed in changing the perception of society towards those girls/women through sports on one hand and on the other hand, it has contributed exposing their hidden competency, develop good physical and mental health, enhance their interactive power and equalize them before men. These types of sports competitions have provided common platform for girls and young women to raise their consolidated voice in their common issue and draw attention of concerned authority in promoting the sports for woman with disabilities. Although sports is considered only appropriate for physically healthy-looking male bodies, this project has erased this stigma where women with different sorts of disabilities have become involved in sports which has contributed in physical and mental wellbeing of these women and also have changed the perception of society on them.