December 3 is the day that marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, with EUSA continuously increasing its efforts into including sport competitions for student-athletes with disabilities at its events.

Commemorated since 1992, this day is about promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities at every level of society and development, and to raise awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of political, social, economic, and cultural life. 

Since 1998 the United Nations, have been putting a theme around which this day is commemorated. This year, the commemoration will be done under the theme: "Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world”.

In recent years, EUSA has made marked efforts into commemorating this international day, and promoting disability inclusion in sport, with Para Swimming and Para Table Tennis introduced for the very first time at the third edition of the European Universities Games in Zagreb/Rijeka in 2016.

EUSA has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with both the European Paralympic Committee as well as Para Volley Europe, collaborating with both organisations to pursue various efforts into promoting sports for students with disabilities.

Forming part of the programme at the European Universities Games in Coimbra in 2018, Table Tennis was offered to para athletes to compete.

At the European Universities Games in Lodz in 2022, Para Table Tennis was also on the official sport programme.

Present as promo sports for people with disabilities, at the Games in 2022, were also sitting volleyball and para powerlifting.

Alongside the sport competitions, like in the previous editions, at thie years Games, part of the program was also focused on educational and social aspects of university sport in Europe, featuring various conferences and workshops where the topic of disability inclusion in sport was discussed.
EUSA has been empowering and supporting, the engagement of volunteers with disabilities, at EUSA sports events, as well.

As part of EUSA’s increased involvement in the field of disability inclusion in sport, the association through the EUSA Institute in Ljubljana, Slovenia, started leading the Inclusion in Sport (iSPORT) project, funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, in 2021.
Inclusion in Sport (iSPORT) project promotes diversity and social inclusion in sport by enhancing the sporting experience of all participants – athletes and volunteers, especially targeting women, LGBTIQ+ and people with disabilities, while promoting equal opportunities and awareness of the importance of health-enhancing physical activity through increased participation in, and equal access to, sport for all.

We are a proud partner in the project Work for a Cause, Serve for Sport (W4C), which promotes volunteering, but specifically also targets people with disabilities.

In 2022, EUSA also became partner in the Youth Integrity Ambassadors Project, which is a cooperative partnership with the aim to trigger a positive change within the sport sector and create a culture of integrity across Europe and to educate and empower young people with and without intellectual disability to become sport integrity ambassadors.

For more information on how EUSA and its Institute, continuously work on increasing inclusivity in University sport through different tools and events, please see www.eusa.eu/projects.