Tell us about the committee you chair?
The Regional Handisport Committee Bourgogne Franche-Comté has more than 30 leisure and competitive sports activities for people with motor and/or sensory disabilities representing 8 Departmental Committees and approximately 130 clubs. More than 2,200 members are registered to practice athletics, deaf badminton, basketball, boccia, deaf bowling, canoeing, blind football, cycling, horse riding, fencing, electric wheelchair football, deaf football, goalball, weightlifting, judo, swimming, scuba diving, hiking, wheelchair rugby, blowgun, downhill skiing and snowboarding, Nordic skiing, pétanque, tennis, table tennis, archery, sports shooting, torball, sailing and deaf volleyball.
What is the role of the regional committee?
The Committee coordinates the entire regional movement and defends its values. First, singularity because it is essential to take into account the particularities of the practitioner. We welcome them to benefit from a secure sports offer adapted to their abilities. Then autonomy, the benefits of sport, in the life path of a person with a disability, allowing them to develop their physical abilities and improve their independence. We therefore support practitioners towards the freest possible practice. Finally, accomplishment through sport which improves self-esteem and better understands their place in society. There, we offer the licensee, according to their aspirations and their pace, an adapted involvement within the movement whether for performance, pleasure, escape, conviviality, supervision, refereeing, etc.
What about the equipment needed for these different disciplines?
With the support of our partners, in particular the State and the Region, we have set up the Handipark system at the regional level. People with disabilities often need specific equipment to practice their sport, equipment that is often expensive and this should not be a hindrance for them, so we make it available to departmental committees, clubs or individuals. The people concerned can thus try before possibly investing. To give you an idea, a basketball chair costs around €7,000, of which less than 10% is covered by social security, which represents a significant remaining charge despite the contribution of additional aid (mutual insurance, MDPH).
Is it easy to provide human supervision for the various activities?
As with able-bodied people, volunteers must first be found. Then, this requires specific expertise and the ability to help and advise. It is also necessary to know the right actions in certain cases, such as when transfers have to be made from a wheelchair. We therefore offer training to enable those who wish to provide this specific welcome for each sport, adapted to different pathologies. This is how we can offer quality supervision and promote the development of disabled sport.
In addition, there are sometimes necessary adjustments…
Indeed, it is necessary to adapt the infrastructure and reception areas if necessary. This could involve access to a tennis court or a gymnasium with wide enough doors, accessibility to toilets and showers, landmarks for the visually impaired, etc. Here too, the regional committee can provide advice and direct clubs to the right people.
The Paralympic Games begin: what do they mean to you?
This is a great opportunity to highlight our disciplines and our athletes. A time to raise awareness among the general public and make everyone aware of our issues while showing that we can also be disabled and athletes, in this case at a high level. Since the London Olympics in 2012, media coverage has increased and we are increasingly asked to speak in schools and businesses, which allows us to bring another perspective on our differences and work towards a more inclusive society.
With concrete repercussions on the ground?
We expect it, as was the case after the Tokyo Olympics. As with the able-bodied, many people turn to clubs and say why not me and want to try this or that discipline, whatever their disability. We will probably find this enthusiasm again this year in the months to come. However, we will be vigilant about the future of our structures so that the wind does not fall and we can capitalize without having to suffer from possible cuts in funding that would be detrimental.
