Webinar: Reimagining cooperation on sport for persons with disabilities, leaving no one behind
The global outbreak of COVID‐19 has heavily impacted the world of sport and access to physical activity, resulting in closure of gyms, stadiums, pools, dance and fitness studios, physiotherapy centers, parks and playgrounds. It has also led to the unprecedented postponement of the Olympic and Paralympic games and the cancellation of sporting events at all levels. This, in turn, also impacts many social benefits of global and regional sport events, which can cement social cohesion, contribute to the social and emotional excitement of fans, as well as their identification with athletes leading to greater physical activity of individuals. Sport has long been considered a valuable tool for fostering communication and building bridges between communities and generations. Within this context, sport is used as a tool for creating learning opportunities and accessing often marginal or at‐risk populations.
The impacts of COVID‐19 have also deepened existing inequalities, including for the world’s more than one billion persons with disabilities. The United Nations Secretary-General Policy Brief: A Disability‐Inclusive Response to COVID‐191 highlights that persons with disabilities are particularly disadvantaged by the socio‐economic consequences of COVID‐19. In some cases, measures to control the pandemic have also caused significant disruptions to support services that are essential for safe, independent, and healthy lives and have limited access to critical opportunities, including the opportunity to organize, develop and participate in disability‐specific sporting and recreational activities.
Last July the Secretary‐General António Guterres challenged Member States to “reimagine the way nations cooperate” to respond to and recover from the pandemic.
UNDESA’s Division for Inclusive Social Development will organize a webinar on “Reimagining cooperation on sport for persons with disabilities, leaving no one behind” on 10 November 2020 from 8 to 10 am EDT (NY Time). The webinar aims at raising awareness and identifying collaborative innovative solutions and responses to recovering better from the pandemic with a focus on building more equal, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable economies and societies by engaging persons with disabilities and other stakeholders through sport.
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