European Paralympic Committee launches Para School Programme in Türkiye to bring inclusive sport into classrooms

The European Paralympic Committee’s European Para Youth Games (EPYG) Legacy Initiative is set to reach its latest major milestone between 13-17 April with the start of the roll-out of the Para School Programme in Istanbul and Adana.

At its heart, the Para School Programme is designed to help children with disabilities feel more included in physical education and school sport as a normal part of school life. It is specifically designed to embed Para sport in schools across Türkiye and Europe by equipping teachers with adaptive sports training, integrating Para sport into school curricula, and providing students with structured pathways into sport.

During the programme, over 200 teachers will learn about biotic motor skills, adaptive sport and inclusive practices as well as having the opportunity to apply their new knowledge through practical exercises. This will give them the tools to integrate these elements into their classes, offer enhanced support for students with disabilities, particularly in sport, and help their schools create clearer pathways into sport for young people who might otherwise face barriers to participation.

All those taking part will receive a certificate of participation as part of their professional development.

The programme is the second major deliverable of the Erasmus+ supported EPYG Legacy Initiative. It follows on from the Discovery Programme during the EPYG in Istanbul in July 2025, which saw tens of thousands of members of the public come into direct contact with Para sports.

In collaboration with the Türkiye National Paralympic Committee, the Para School Programme will see the impact of the Discovery Programme expanded by giving teachers practical training and classroom-ready resources.

On 13-14 April, a team of educators from the EPYG Legacy Initiative will deliver sessions at BJK – Kabataş Vakfı Okulları in Istanbul, a school which caters for children from Kindergarten right through to high school.

The same programme will be delivered from 16-17 April at Yüreğir Atakent Youth Centre in Adana, which organises scientific, cultural, artistic and sports activities for young people aged 12-29 years.

After the in-person sessions are delivered, all materials and resources will be made available to European Paralympic Committee Members and educational institutions across Europe, delivering a wider impact.

Raymon Blondel, European Paralympic Committee President, will be on site in Istanbul to welcome the participants.

“This programme is about giving teachers the confidence and tools to make sport more inclusive in every school environment” Blondel said. He continued, “The EPYG Legacy Initiative is enabling the European Paralympic Committee to both deliver resources for Members and expand its impact and influence on their behalf into wider society.”

“If we want Para sport to grow, inclusion has to start long before elite competition. It has to start in schools. As such, schools and teachers are absolutely crucial to ensuring that children with disabilities both have access to sport and are meaningfully included in education, giving all students the environment needed to reach their potential. This might mean one day a student goes on to compete at a Paralympic Games, but equally important are the confidence and skills that a young person can gain from just playing sport regularly.

“The Discovery Programme last year showed the demand from the public to engage with Para sport as part of the EPYG, an event for youth athletes. The Para School Programme takes that appetite further and translates it into concrete actions directly benefitting the next generation.”

What is the EPYG Legacy Initiative

Funded by the European Union's Eras,us+ programme, the EPYG Legacy Initiative is an ambitious project with four main areas of work. In addition to the Discovery and Para School Programmes, developments are taking place within policy and development, and knowledge sharing, aiming to further expand the initiative’s reach and impact.

The Policy and Development Hubs, scheduled ensure long-term sustainability by working directly with Members, governments, and policymakers to integrate Para sport into national strategies, funding mechanisms, and development plans. As a focal point for national and regional institutions and Members, a key outcome of the Hubs will be formalised policy recommendations for enabling more people with disabilities to take part in sport.

The Para Digital Academy is the fourth pillar of the EPYG Legacy Initiative. It addresses a critical gap in coaching, volunteer training, and professional development. By offering a permanent online training platform, the Academy ensures that coaches, educators, and sport administrators have access to high-quality, structured Para sport-specific education. Here, other Erasmus+ supported projects, past and present, such as the European Coach Developer Academy and ParaManager, will be integrated.

To stay up-to-date with the EPYG Legacy Initiative, including news, footage and imagery, please visit: https://www.europaralympic.org/epyglegacy