DESPITE their disability, children with special needs learn the basics in the first sports clinic for persons with disability (PWDs) at the Baguio Athletic Bowl.
The clinic was designed to teach children with mental disability, fellowship and camaraderie and also to improve their motor skills and enhance their physical abilities.
Organized by Councilor Arthur Alad-iw, chairperson of the Committee on Employment, Livelihood and Cooperatives and Persons with Disabilities, the one day clinic was facilitated by Dr. Eve Dayot, Center Administrator of St. John Paul II Learning Center.
Faculties and students together with their parents from SPED, St. John Paul, and HOPE joined the event backed by the City Sports Development Office and the Office of the City Social Welfare and Development Office.
“We want to be inclusive so we developed some type of games where those with intellectual disability can participate, such as passing and kicking the ball. These things with simple instructions and simple mechanical movements will help them improve their physical abilities,” said Dayot.
The sports clinic, introduced different parts of simple games where the children can play and everybody can participate.
The clinic also served as a form of therapy children with disability considering this is the first time they held an event in an open area.
The change in environment helped them become more comfortable with the activities and the people around them and as a result, the children became more involved and had an active participation during the clinic.
Volunteers from the University of the Cordilleras - College of Law and students from Saint Louis University specializing in special education and psychology helped in facilitating the event together with teachers from St. John Paul Learning Center.
The clinic is a prelude to a mini Olympics event for children with special needs in celebration of the 34th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week next month. (Gretchen Abarcar/University of the Cordilleras intern)