NEWS & MOVIES ARCHIVE

14th International Day witouth wheelchair

On Sunday, July 16^th, 2017, people with disabilities and their companions gathered a public swimming pool in Slovenska Bistrica. On this occasion, The Day without a Wheelchair marked the introduction of the activities and participants with disabilities could try out the following activities: diving with Aqualung, recreational sports diving, underwater hockey, underwater driving with the scooter, archery. Some of them have never tried something like that before.
This is the day when people with disabilities traditionally push wheelchairs out of the way and become equal to those who can walk.

The event was organized by the Association of Paraplegics of Podravje - Maribor, the Association of Paraplegics of Southwest Stajerska - Celje and the International Societies Association IAHD Adriatic, the Municipality of Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenska Bistrica Sports Institute and the Slovenian Paraplegic Association.
The event was successfully carried out, and only a few minor adjustments to the environment were necessary. This has once again proved that people with disabilities can find their place among the many public swimming pools, therefore also in Slovenska Bistrica.
The weather was bad, however, the poolside has attracted 35 people with disabilities and their attendants. They came from Zagreb also, with the intention of transferring their experiences to those who, due to their disability, rarely enter public swimming pools. People in Slovenska Bistrica saw for the first time how dive training for people with disabilities looks like. The sport diving for disabled is still developing and we think that a bright future in this field is expected.
For the first time divers with disabilities played underwater hockey, so the organizers slightly adjusted the rules. In a short and tense game, Slovenians beat the traditionally unfavorable Croatia with 3: 1.
We are proud that two people with spinal cord injury (Afrodita Arifaj and Benjamin Krc) dive for the first time and enrolled in a book of divers with disabilities. This was also the most important moment of the event, which will in the future be extended to other Slovenian public baths also.
A day without a wheelchair remains the central summer event for the people with disabilities, where for at least one day the wheelchair can be pushed into a corner and, together with other bathers, people with disabilities can with pleasure take part in the activities provided by public utility baths, which is also a part of their social role and their important mission.

All of this would not have been feasible without good people, who also helped us to organize the event:

- dr. Ivan Zagar, Mayor of the Municipality of Slovenska Bistrica,
- Marjan Stimec, Director of the Slovenska Bistrica Sports Institute
- Association of Paraplegics of Podravje – Maribor
- Association of Paraplegics of Southwest Stajerska - Celje
- Slovenian Paraplegic Association
- Damjan and Ana Peklar
- Drago Jovic, photo
- Nina Pufic
We kindly thank all the other volunteers also.

Foto: Drago Jovic and IAHD Adriatic