Bosnia and Herzegovina has made significant progress in promoting inclusive support for those with disabilities. Major achievements have been made but some challenges still persist.
BiH had it’s first debut at the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta and since then it has participated in both summer and winter paralympic games. One of the most successful is the
country’s men’s sitting volleyball team with notable achievements:
– Gold Medals: 2004 (Athens), 2012 (London)
– Silver Medals: 2000 (Sydney), 2008 (Beijing), 2016 (Rio de Janeiro)
– Bronze Medals: 2020 (Tokyo)
The first individual Paralympic swimming medal was won by a 14-year-old Ismail Barlov, who won a silver medal in the 50 meter breaststroke SB2 event at the Paris Paralympic Games. In 2023, Vesna Mišić secured a gold medal for Bosnia and Herzegovina in futsal at the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin.
She also triumphed in basketball at the Regional West Balkans Unified 3×3 Basketball Tournament in Tirana, Albania. Edna Šunjić, an athlete with Down Syndrome has achieved major success in various sports. She was granted the status of a prominent athlete by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Sarajevo Canton. The Special Olympics Committee has been pivotal in fostering inclusion through sports, their programs have engaged over 5000 children with and without developmental disabilities,
across 80 locations in 55 cities where they promoted social integration and physical activity.
The “Inclusion through Sports for Children with Developmental Disabilities” project, funded by the EEA and Norway grants, is a collaborative effort of consortium from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Lithuania, Montenegro, Romania and Slovakia. This initiative aims to
improve the lives of children with developmental disabilities. Local grassroots organizations such as the School of Sports for Persons with Developmental Disabilities “Sunce” in Banja Luka, provide free access to sports and physical activities for children and youth with developmental disabilities 5 . These programs help individuals become more independent and integrated into the society. Erasmus+ programs have also significantly contributed to the development and implementation of inclusive practices, particularly through the Capacity
Building in the Field of Sports and Capacity Building in Higher Education.
These opportunities have enabled both more experienced and less experienced organizations to participate in joint initiatives and share their resources in pursuit of common goals. Despite these efforts, challenges persist, including limited access to adaptive facilities, insufficient funding, as well as societal barriers. Addressing these challenges requires multifaceted and continuous collaboration between governmental bodies, NGOs, and international partners to ensure sustainable and inclusive sports development. Despite existing policies aimed at promoting inclusion, comprehensive mechanisms and practices are still lacking, hindering progress towards inclusive sports. 6
MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT
Promoting sports and stressing their importance in daily life promotes social inclusion and well-being for all ages, genders, and backgrounds. The project uses sport to educate children and youth and instill good values and training in sports workers and coaches.
Building grassroots groups, sharing best practices from other countries, promoting social inclusion through sports (focusing on children with disabilities and those facing disadvantages), and encouraging positive values like team spirit are the main goals. Youth
and sports professionals will profit from expert knowledge transfer.
The project will hold workshops, events, and programs using sports for non-formal education and advocate for public policy and law changes. The project will target various populations to address the often-overlooked importance of physical activity in public health policies.
The Global Strategy on Nutrition, Physical exercise, and Health emphasizes the importance of school policies and programs that promote healthy habits and physical exercise for children, youth, and the community.
Sports enhance motor skills, self-confidence, and resilience in disabled and special needs children. Physical education and school sports boost physical exercise and active lifestyles, improving public health. Sports can avoid disease, enhance mental and cognitive health, and
engage the elderly. This project will use non-traditional educational methods to create engaging activities and events that teach all people about inclusion, gender equity, and healthy habits through sports. This method shows that sports can be inclusive, innovative, and creative for diverse learners and bonders.