OBSTACLE RACE: THE INCLUSION OF YOUNG PEOPLE WITH ALBINISM THROUGH SPORTS Erasmus Project

Project Title

OBSTACLE RACE: THE INCLUSION OF YOUNG PEOPLE WITH ALBINISM THROUGH SPORTS

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Disabilities – special needs; Health and wellbeing; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

In September 2018, the project “OBSTACLE RACE: THE INCLUSION OF YOUNG PEOPLE WITH ALBINISM THROUGH SPORTS” started with the aim of promoting the inclusion of youth with albinism through adapted sports, enhancing their physical strength, their instinct for self-improvement, their socialization, and to overcome the barriers to which they are subject due to their age and condition.
During the 32 months that this project has been active, the eight entities of persons with albinism from all over Europe that have led it (ALBA – Spain, NOHA – Germany, DFFA – Denmark, NFFA – Norway, ALBINIT – Italy, ALBINIZM DERNEGI – Turkey, ALBINISM FELLOWSHIP – UK+Ireland, and OOGVERENIGING NETHERLAND – Netherland) have worked intensively not only to create several impactful results that generate adaptation mechanisms for young persons with albinism in sports settings and to show society in general and the participants with albinism themselves the benefits of sports for inclusion, but also to develop it with the highest quality and the capability to generate a real impact among beneficiaries across Europe during one of the worst moments humanity has suffered in recent centuries, due to the terrible COVID-19 pandemic, which has especially impacted persons with previous pathologies.

Despite the confinements, the obstacles to hold in-person meetings, or even the difficulty of carrying out any type of on-site activity, this partnership -and especially the young persons with albinism that promoted it- has managed to carry out all the activities and proposed results (intellectual, tangible, and structural), achieving a significant impact among young persons with albinism and sports entities throughout Europe and the European society in general.
Particularly noteworthy is the creation of the “METHODOLOGICAL GUIDE FOR THE INCLUSION OF YOUNG PEOPLE WITH ALBINISM THROUGH INCLUSIVE SPORTS”, in which one can find the answer to how people with albinism practice sports and how to promote their inclusive practice, as well as to many more questions related to the practice of sports by persons with this genetic condition that will help athletes with albinism to practice sports correctly and in an individualized way, because not every person with albinism is the same or has the same obstacles.
In addition to the methodological guide, the VIDEO-DOCUMENTARY “OBSTACLE RACE: THE INCLUSION OF YOUNG PEOPLE WITH ALBINISM THROUGH SPORTS” has also been created: a tangible result that complements the methodological guide allowing it to raise the awareness of the European society and showing a practical application of the contents of the guide. This is a documentary directed, designed, and created by young persons with albinism in the audiovisual field, so it has a high professional quality.

In order to develop all these results and achieve a great impact on the European scale, many activities were also carried out despite the pandemic, such as 3 in-person Transnational Meetings (Como – Italy, Oslo – Norway, and Valencia – Spain), sporting events where young persons with albinism have tested the validity of the methodology generated and recorded the documentary, training activities, and exchanges of good practices among many others.
At the end of the project, a strong dissemination phase was carried out, adapted to these turbulent times we have lived, including two large Multiplier Events:
– The first of them was a massive virtual event where policy makers, heads of social entities, athletes, and young persons with albinism from Valencia participated. In it, the “METHODOLOGICAL GUIDE FOR THE INCLUSION OF YOUNG PEOPLE WITH ALBINISM THROUGH INCLUSIVE SPORTS” and the DOCUMENTARY: “OBSTACLE RACE: THE INCLUSION OF YOUNG PERSONS WITH ALBINISM THROUGH SPORTS” were presented to the public throughout Europe through the media and social networks.
– The second of them was an in-person event held at the Faculty of Education from University of Valencia, where students and teachers from the school environment, of physical education, and from the department of special educational needs participated, learning how to work with students with low vision in their classrooms.
And a large dissemination campaign that has allowed to promote the use of the various materials generated by the associations, beneficiaries, educational centers, sports groups, gyms, and families that promote the inclusion of young persons with albinism through sports.

We have carried out a successful project developed for young persons with albinism, created by these same young persons who suffer from this rare condition, to show any person with albinism that with effort and dedication they are capable of breaking down all the barriers that our disease puts before us, and that socialization is essential to achieve full inclusion, and it can come from sports and leisure.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 89490 Eur

Project Coordinator

Asociación Alba & Country: ES

Project Partners

• ALBINIT
• NOAH Albinismus Selbsthilfegruppe
• Norsk forening for Albinisme (NFFA)
• Danish Association of Albinism
• Albinism Fellowship (The Albino Fellowship) UK & Ireland
• ALBINIZM DERNEGI
• Oogvereniging Nederland