Supporting people with disabilities
Over 1 billion people are estimated to live with some form of disability. This corresponds to about 15% of the world's population. For many people with disabilities, assistance and support are prerequisites for participating in society. The lack of necessary support services can make people with disabilities overly dependent on family members and can prevent both the person with disability and the family members from becoming economically active and socially included.
Sports can help reduce the stigma associated with disability because it transforms community attitudes about persons with disabilities by highlighting their skills and reducing the tendency to see the disability instead of the person. Through sports, persons without disabilities interact with persons with disabilities in a positive context forcing them to reshape assumptions about what persons with disabilities can and cannot do. Through sports, persons with disabilities acquire vital social skills, develop independence, and become empowered to act as agents of change. Sports is also well-suited to reducing dependence and developing greater independence by helping persons with disabilities to become physically and mentally stronger. These skills can be transferred into other new arenas including employment and advocacy work further helping to build self-sufficiency
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