Paralympic children to compete in school events
By Echo Reporter
LUCAN-based councillor, Vicki Casserly, has championed the inclusion of a Paralympic Section in the Schools Cross Country Programme in South Dublin
In 2016 Cllr Casserly approached South Dublin County Council about the possibility of including a Paralympic section to the Schools Cross Country Programme in an effort to give students with a disability an equal opportunity to qualify for competitions.
The project was piloted in schools across the county, with huge interest from students with disabilities attending mainstream schools.
Cllr Casserly told The Echo: “The introduction of the Paralympic section has opened up so many doors for students and is a huge step towards total equality for children with disabilities.”
She added: “I want to commend South Dublin County Council Sports and Recreational Department on the success of the recent Schools Cross Country events. I believe they have broken the mould by introducing a new category for Paralympic school-going children – making the event inclusive for all who chose to participate.”
Cllr Casserly’s son, James, attends Scoil Áine in Lucan and is passionate about sports. The 10-year-old has Cerebral Palsy and Juvenile Arthritis and is determined to compete alongside his school friends.
Cllr Casserly said: “The addition of the Paralympic section means that James, along with other children who are interested in sports, have the opportunity to compete in the same way as their friends and peers.”
South Dublin’s Primary Schools Cross Country Programme has grown in recent years, with 67 schools set to take part in the 2017 programme.
According to the council the Paralympic section has “developed and grown” since it was first introduced and there is currently a Paralympic section in three out of the four local cross-country event venues.
This development means that children with a disability that are in mainstream schools can now participate alongside their classmates in the cross-country programme.
This year the Paralympic Section will be classified into different groupings – catering for wheelchair users, those on walking frames, and those that are ambulant.
A spokesperson for the Sports and Recreational Department of the council, said: “The feedback has been extremely positive to this element of what is already a very successful programme.”
