Manila (October 8, 2020) – The National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) lead to undertake a Virtual Training on Sports Coaching for Persons with Disabilities. This is a hand-on sports training to persons with disabilities with diverse conditions on different sports, such as athletics, ball games, Boccia including developmental and other games of adaptive sports.
It aims to harness the skills of persons with disabilities in the field of sports, especially at the grassroots level, in order to develop their potentials so that they can compete to local, national and international sports competitions and events, such as the Palarong Pambansa, Philippine National Games, Para Games and Paralympic Games.
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a legally binding international instrument that addresses the rights of persons with disabilities and sport. Article 30 of the Convention addresses both mainstream and disability-specific sport and stipulates that “States Parties shall take appropriate measures to encourage and promote the participation, to the fullest extent possible, of persons with disabilities in mainstream sporting activities at all levels”. It also calls upon Governments, States party to the Convention, to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to sport and recreational venues — as spectators and as active participants. This also requires that children with disabilities be included in physical education within the school system “to the fullest extent possible” and enjoy equal access to “play, recreation and leisure and sporting activities”.
The target participants for these training is school-based and community-based persons with disabilities including SPED and Physical Education teachers, and sports instructors, among others, from the local government unit. Participants may register in advance thru Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hYQeZhQ6QZqy009JjGxV0w and/or facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nationalcouncilondisabilityaffairs
Speakers for this Webinars are from Philippine Sports Association for Differently-Abled, College of Human Kinetics – University of the Philippines and Philippine Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine.
According to NCDA Executive Director Rojas, “Through sport, persons with disabilities acquire vital social skills, develop independence, and become empowered to act as agents of change. Sport teaches individuals how to communicate effectively as well as the significance of teamwork and cooperation and respect for others.”
In the same event, two (2) Webinars will be undertaken in National Capital Region (NCR) on October 13 and Region IV-A, on November 18 of this year.
References:
JEMELLEE P. AGUILAR
EMERITO L. ROJAS