ICSSPE contributes to closing event of the EU–Council of Europe “Sport For All” project
ICSSPE contributed to the closing event of the European Union–Council of Europe joint project “Sport For All: Promoting Inclusion and Combating Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities”, held on 23–24 June 2026 in Strasbourg, France.
The closing event marked an important milestone in the project, bringing together athletes, sport professionals, policymakers, national focal points, and representatives of European institutions to reflect on the project’s findings, outcomes and future directions.
The “Sport For All” project aims to support a more inclusive sport culture by addressing barriers to the participation of persons with disabilities in sport and by promoting safer, more accessible and non-discriminatory sport environments. The project focused on eight participating countries: Armenia, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine.
Translating project findings into capacity building
As part of the project, ICSSPE was responsible for supporting the capacity-building component through the design and delivery of two tailored training workshops for sport professionals and stakeholders from the participating countries. These workshops built on the findings of the project’s needs assessment and focused on strengthening inclusive sport systems in practice.
Patrick Stolpmann represented ICSSPE during the closing event. On the first day, he moderated the session on “Athlete leadership and advocacy”, which featured contributions from Martina Caironi, Paralympic medallist in the 100m sprint and long jump and member of the Athletes’ Council of the International Paralympic Committee and World Para Athletics, and Päivi Tolppanen, Para judo coach and Vice-President of the Finnish Paralympic Committee. The discussion highlighted the role of athletes and sport leaders in advancing inclusion, visibility and meaningful participation for persons with disabilities in sport.
From workshop outcomes to future action
On the second day, Patrick presented the outcomes of the Sport For All training workshops during the session “Building the capacity of grassroots”. The session also included national good practice contributions from Gearóidín McTavish, Director of Disability at Sport Ireland and Sport For All focal point, and Daniel Videira, Executive Committee Member of the National Paralympic Committee of Portugal and Sport For All focal point.
This session positioned capacity building as a key bridge between the project’s analytical work and future implementation. While the needs assessment identified common structural challenges across the participating countries, the training workshops supported stakeholders in exploring how these findings can inform practical change within their own sport environments.
The closing event also included the presentation of the Sport For All Toolkit, discussions on career pathways for persons with disabilities in sport, and sport demonstrations including wheelchair fencing and blind football. These elements reflected the project’s broader message: inclusive sport systems require not only policy frameworks, but also visible role models, accessible pathways, trained professionals, practical tools and sustained institutional commitment.
ICSSPE is proud to have contributed to this initiative and to have supported the project’s efforts to strengthen inclusion and combat discrimination against persons with disabilities in sport. The outcomes of the project provide a valuable foundation for continued cooperation, peer learning and practical action across Europe and beyond.
Read more about the project and access all resources here: Home – Sport for all
