Sport unites humans worldwide and promotes integration as well as inclusion. So far, the theory. Is that true though? From January 25 to 27, the Department of Sport and Health Sciences has offered a workshop on the topic of "Inclusion through Sports". Around 70 people from five European nations came to the George-Brauchle Ring for this workshop.
Dr. Daniela Schwarz and Elke Langbein, who are in charge of the Department's project on "Special Olympics", organized the workshop. Special Olympics involves the movement in sports of athletes with mental and multiple handicaps.
Final Event of an International Project
The workshop represented a kind of closing event for a project with partners from Poland, Ireland, Finland, Malta and Romania. Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Roy McConcey, Special Olympics commissioned the performance of a European-wide research project.
"Over the past three years, we have identified how people with intellectual impairments perceive social inclusion in their sport organizations and also within their social environments, as well as interpreted the overall significance of sports for this goal," explains Dr. Schwarz.
Interviews with more than 1,000 Athletes of the Special Olympics
For this purpose, a questionnaire from the US was first adapted and then translated into "simple language" for the respective countries. Athletes of the Special Olympics were interviewed during the course of the World Games, which were held in Graz, in 2017, as well as at their respective national events. "A special feature in Germany was that we, as the only country, also made use of Special Olympics Athletes as interviewers. In the course of the workshop, we passed on our experiences and recommendations," says Schwarz. More than 1,000 participants answered the questionnaires in total.
The research findings were now presented and discussed in Munich before being published in articles. The initiation and performance of international research projects in this field are to be carried out additionally.
Contact:
Dr. Daniela Schwarz
Department of Sport and Health Sciences
George-Brauchle Ring 60/62
80992 Munich
Telephone: 089 289 24537
Email: Daniela.Schwarz(at)tum.de
Text: Fabian Kautz
Photos: SOD Press - Dr. Daniela Schwarz