ADAPTING PROGRAMS TO CONTINUE PROMOTION OF INCLUSION THROUGH PARASPORTS IN ICRC’S PHYSICAL REHABILITATION PROGRAM IN INDIA DURING THE PANDEMIC

C. Sharma¹, D. Navid¹

¹International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), New Delhi, India

Background: The second wave of pandemic in 2021 had a severe long-lasting effect around the globe. The rehabilitation services were impacted and the pandemic added considerably to the existing caseload. In India, medical and rehabilitation outpatient services moved online and became possible for those who had access to internet and appropriate technology.
Within International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)’s Physical Rehabilitation Program (PRP), our support is extended through partners in provision of physical rehabilitation services which includes prosthetic and orthotic devices, physiotherapy, wheelchair and other assistive devices for persons with locomotor disabilities.
Social inclusion through sports for persons with disabilities (PwDs) is one of PRP’s main pillars and has strengthened through the collaboration with Wheelchair Basketball Federation of India (WBFI) since 2014 and with Paralympic Committee of India since 2017.

Purpose: To create learning opportunities for players, coaches and physiotherapists leading to social inclusion of PwDs through sports during second wave of pandemic.

Methods: Following adaptations were made to implement capacity building programs during second wave of COVID:

• Virtual capacity building programs: In collaboration with WBFI such programs were conducted for wheelchair basketball players, coaches, referees, and classifiers in June 2021. Classification Officer from International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) held sessions on the topic of ‘Principles of Classification’ which covered various aspects of the wheelchair basketball and eligibility criteria to participate at the competitive level.
• In addition, weekly online training programs were conducted by the international coaches of wheelchair basketball for players and coaches to continue practice their skills at home and maintain fitness and form required for the game in later half of the year.
• Provision of equipment for practice: ICRC provided basic training equipment to 18 male players, 16 female players and 8 coaches of national team of wheelchair basketball to continue their practice at home which included basketball, thera-band, and dumbbells.
• Virtual session for sports physiotherapists by ICRC on ‘Assessment and Specific Considerations for Para athletes’ at the orientation session for sports physiotherapists who were recently recruited by Sports Authority of India in June 2021.

Results: About 50 participants including wheelchair basketball players, coaches, referees and physiotherapists attended online sessions on classification. Online session for sports physiotherapists was attended by 64 participants from various states and had interesting interactions on disability sports scenario in India. Through cumulative efforts of ICRC, WBFI, and supported centres, 445 PwDs were able to access sports in 2021.

Conclusions: The first two waves of COVID led to necessity of online training resources and adaptation of existing onsite methodology towards blended programs with both online and onsite components. With the access to internet and smartphone, players in remote villages were part of virtual training sessions conducted by a coach from Canada. This was only possible through changing the perspective due to pandemic restrictions.

Implications: Online coaching and training methods for sports-specific drills and activities should be blended with existing onsite courses.

Funding acknowledgements: All the activities stated in the abstract were under ICRC program in India.

Keywords:
Rehabilitation
Inclusion
Parasports

Topics:
Disability & rehabilitation

Did this work require ethics approval? No

Reason: This report on ICRC day-to-day activities and programmes’ articulation and implementation did not require an ethical approval. This presentation will address new and unique developments in practice, theory, education, management, policy, and resources within rehabilitation programmes on the field for the ICRC. It describes innovative ways in which established methods have been adapted to meet the changing needs of practice.