The Guyana judo league organized a “handisport morning” on Saturday, November 30 at the Suzini dojo, in Rémire Montjoly, with a series of workshops for people with disabilities but also able-bodied people in order to break the clichés and show that any sport is adaptable. Around fifty people participated.
Here autistic or visually impaired people trudging along a motor skills course. There, hearing-impaired or mentally challenged adults practice parajudo or “goal ball”. This Saturday, November 30, the tatami of the Suzini dojo in Rémire-Montjoly was entirely dedicated to disabled sports.
The day, organized by the Guyana judo league, sought to demonstrate that “any sport can be adaptable and accessible to everyone” while offering a moment “openness and kindness”.
It was a success since around fifty people, including able-bodied people, participated. “I discovered parajudo and I find it very interesting. As a visual deficit, it is really adapted to my handicap because it is a lot of holds, body to body. You have to have good techniques to put the opponent on land but it is entirely possible to learn even with a visual impairment”, rejoices Jean François Leneuve, a blind adult member of the Iris team.
This young “shared sport” team was set up by able-bodied high school students from the Félix Eboué establishment in Cayenne and brings together visually impaired people.
Among the participants, we found people supported by the specialized reception center (MAS) of Kourou or the Association of Parents and Friends of the Hearing Impaired of Guyana. But also individuals with disabilities who are members of a local judo club.
“We like participating in these kinds of activities. For us, beyond the opening offered to people with disabilities, these are important sporting times, times of cohesion and discovery which also make it possible to fight against representations and prejudices about what it is possible to do. to do or not to do as a disabled person.”
Flavien Dos Santos, specialized educator at the Kourou specialized reception center
The Guyanese Judo League announces that it wants to organize disabled sports days on this model on a regular basis in order to promote disabled sports. In France, according to Directorate of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (Drees), between 2.6 million and 7.6 million people aged 15 or over would be disabled or dependent. In 2024, they still remain victims of discrimination on a daily basis.
