Special Olympics seminar tomorrow
A seminar designed to educate parents and guardians with children of intellectual disabilities to appreciate the essence of supporting their children who have interest in sports will take place at the Dzorwulu Special School in Accra tomorrow.
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About 100 parents and guardians from Accra and its environs will participate in the seminar which also seeks to educate the participants on the health needs of their wards with the view of keeping them active.
A number of resource persons with expertise on special education and medicine will interact with the participants on measures needed to galvanise their wards to actively participate in sporting and other social events.
Briefing the Daily Graphic on the event, a Board member of Special Olympics Ghana, Nana Wereko-Ampim Opoku, said in spite of their intellectual disabilities, the athletes have different interests in sports and other social events.
He mentioned football, athletics, basketball, tennis and volleyball as some of the disciplines that interest the athletes, saying, “many parents have not been supporting their wards to participate in such sports”.
The situation, he said, undermined the quest of Special Olympics to nurture and develop hidden talents of atheletes in a meaningful way”.
Nana Wereko-Ampim said besides identifying the interest of their wards, it was important for the parents and guardians to buy boots, spikes, footballs, basketballs and kit for their wards.
“Supporting athletes to sustain their interest in sports is very important because it does not only keep them active but also reduces the stigma and trauma they go through in life” he advised.
