Handi Hop! : helping disabled people

[malick 0]

Hi all !

My girlfriend and me are currently involved in helping disabled people (mostly physical disability, like amputation or tetraplegia, for example), trying to improve their every day life and ease their access to sports activity.

This week end in the French Alps, 8 disabled sportsmen and women could participate in the Big Boarder Tour '08 , thanks to the help of the association Handi Hop! and Glisse Blanche. (These links are in french)

. Of course, local french TV

During this event, everyone understood the difficulties encountered by disabled people. Too many stairs, too many steps, not enough access ramps or elevators, inadequate hotel rooms despite the 'disabled' label, inadequate sports facilities : all these factors make their life even harder and prevents them from practicing sport.

However, during this event, all disabled sportsmen fared incredibly well, despite skiing with a seat or on a single leg ! Some of them event outperformed most valid skiers and surfers, winning some well deserved respect... Well, at least, they are far better than I am, as I had trouble following them on snow

We are looking for people that can fill a questionnaire, in order to understand the mental strength differences and similarities that exist between the valid and disabled people. This can be done by anyone who wants to, disabled or not.

(This link is in french and english, enter Optimal website and select QUESTIONNAIRE on the left)

There may be some disabled people among the community. Feel free to post your comments, suggestions and/or stories here. If some of you could fill that questionnaire, this will help this study and all results will have more weight. Eventually, this will help change things and help all disabled have access to better sports facilities.

Thank you all for your help or simply for showing some interest !

Malick

Don't forget the questionnaire !

[sparks50 0]

Nice initiative.

[malick 0]

Thank you spark.

With the high number of wounded produced by the wars in Irak and Afghanistan, I hope this might interest some people a bit more.

All severely wounded can benefit from that initiative. Many people could open their eyes and realise the tremendous difficulties all disabled people encounter on a daily basis, when they have to cope with their situation on their own.

Malick

[Viper23rd 0]

Indeed, a very nice initiative, it pleases me there are still people on this planet thinking of others as much, or more as they think of themselves.

Yours,

[kmossco 9]

Indeed, a very nice initiative, it pleases me there are still people on this planet thinking of others as much, or more as they think of themselves.

Can't agree more with this.

Already filled the questionnaire, hope it helps

[malick 0]

Thanks for your interest ! And thank you for the questionnaire

I'll try to post pictures of the event here once I manage to upload them somewhere on the net.

Malick

[Infam0us 10]

Completed, all the best.

[malick 0]

OK, here are 2 pictures as a start, more to come...

The whole group, disabled and volunteers

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413....MG]

And the disabled in action, on their ski-chair

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413....MG]

Thanks again to all who contributed or looked at the website, and for your kind words !

Malick

[Viper23rd 0]

Have to admit they're doing some daring things, things I never attempted either, hats off to those men and women. *Smiles*

Hope to see more of these things!

Yours,

[malick 0]

Hi all!

Just to say that this questionnaire will be closed on Sunday, May 18th, at Midnight (French Time). The analysis of the results will soon follow !

Thank you all Have a nice week end !

Malick