ABILYMPICS

1. ABILYMPICS

2. Worldwide three major organizations organize events for persons with disabilities : Special Olympics – games and sports with focus on mentally challenged. Paralympics – games and sports mainly for persons with locomotor disabilities. Abilympics– Abilympics are Olympics with a difference. Abilympics is a combination of the words Ability and Olympics. These are vocational skills competitions for persons with all disabilities. The focus is to showcase the abilities not the disabilities.

3. International Abilympics are held once in four years in different parts of the world under the aegis of International Abilympic Federation (IAF) & Rehabilitation International. Members of IAF participate in the International Abilympics. GRF has recently become a member of IAF.

4. The International Abilympicswere held in 1981 in Japan for the first time to commemorate the United Nations International Year for Disabled Persons. The second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighthAbilympics were held in Colombia, Hong Kong, Australia, Czech Republic, India, Japan and South Korea respectively.

5. The Abilympics in India were introduced by AmarJyoti Charitable Trust. 14 contestants participated in 5th International Abilympics(IA) held in Prague in 2000 where India’s bid to hold 6th IA was accepted.

6. 1400 participants from 33 countries participated in 45 events in 6th International Abilympics held in India in 2003. India won 30 medals (7 gold, 8 silver and 15 bronze).

7. Mission Statement The Mission of Abilympics is to create public awareness and nurture the productive talents of persons with disabilities by providing them opportunities to acquire and enhance their vocational skills to achieve economic independence.

8. Objectives • Discover, nurture and showcase the potential and talents of persons with disabilities and promote economic self-reliance. • Sensitise and create awareness among government, the corporate sector and society at large about the productive skills of persons with disabilities.

9. Expose persons with disabilities to the relevant and latest trends in technologies in their respective areas. • Ensure involvement of the government, the corporate sector and NGOs in the economic upliftment of the disabled. • Promote international friendship through exchange of knowledge and programmes.

10. Who can participate • A person with any disability. • He / She should be 15 years and above, for senior abilympics and below 15 for junior abilympics • He / She can participate in a maximum of two contests if the date and time do not clash. • No outside person is permitted to assist the contestants in any way. In case a contestant needs some help due to his / her disability, the organisers provide the necessary assistance

11. National Abilympics Association Mauritius LIST OF ACTIVITIES UPDATED (23.04.13) [Senior Competition - >15yrs]

12. [Junior Competition - <15yrs] NOTE: To be able to carry out an activity at the Abilympics level, there should be at least 5 participants from 3 institutions.

13. CONTEST – CATEGORIES V1 Furniture Making – Advanced V2 Furniture Making - Basic V3 Basket Making V4 Jewellery Making V5 CAD - Machinery V6 CAD-Architecture V7 Wood Carving V8 Tie & Dye V9 Artificial Limb Making V10 Photography – Studio V11 Photography – Outdoor V12 Poster Design V13 Silk Hand Painting V14 Tailoring Men’s V15 Dress Making – Advanced V16 Dress Making - Basic V17 Electronic Circuit Connection & Technique V18 Electronic Assembly & Testing V19 Bicycle Assembly V20 Cake Decoration

14. V21 English Text Processing V22 Desktop Publishing V23 Computer Programming V24 Data Processing – Basic V25 Data Processing – Advance V26 PC Assembly V27 Creating Web Pages V28 Floral Arrangement V29 CNC Turning V30 Cake Decoration V31 Block Printing on Fabric V32 Dress Making – Basic V33 Painting oil on canvas Leisure &Living Skills L1 Pottery L2 Hand Knitting L3 Embroidery L4 Waste Reuse L5 Crochet Work L6 Painting (Water Colours) on paper

15. The list includes tasks for each disability e.g. Visually Impaired – Computer Assembly, computer programming, cane technology, knitting etc. Intellectually Challenged – word processing, painting, dress making – basic, bead work, block printing etc. Speech & Hearing Impaired - need a sign language interpreter.

17. Judges, Convenors and Technical Assistants are identified from Industry, Technical and Educational Institutes. An orientation programme is organised to familiarise them with the tasks and explain their role and the methodology of assessment of the contestants. A 3 to 5 member Jury is constituted to deal with any appeal against the judgement.

18. The contests are judged entirely on professional merit and not on the measure of the disability of the contestant. No concession is made for severity of disability.

20. Benefits • Abilympics provide an opportunity to participants to upgrade their skills and learn about employment opportunities though networking with other disability organisations and potential employers. • Facilitates Mainstreaming • Helps understanding about job potential and employability.

21. Creates awareness in the society about the abilities of the disabled. • Brings about Convergence of Resources • between government/academic/professional • institutions, industry, NGOs etc.. • Helps in creating barrier-free environment. • Generates international friendship.

22. Training & Employment Generation • Involvement of academicians, professionals, institutions, • and industry. • Identification of jobs, skill development initiative • schemes in consultation with Government/ Industry. • Raise awareness among the employers including giving • them incentive for employment of persons with • disabilities. • Provide incentives to medal winners in National and International • abilympics.

23. Membership IAF - Global Rainbow Foundation • National • Individual membership • Annual membership • Life membership • Institutional membership • Annual membership • Life membership

24. The hardest thing to overcome is not physical disability but the mental condition which it induces.