The start of the new academic year at Secondary School No. 8 in Novopolotsk will be marked by the opening of an inclusive sports ground. The facility was created thanks to the project "Novopolotsk – From an Inclusive School to an Inclusive City," implemented with the financial support of the European Union, as reported to BELTA by the Novopolotsk City Executive Committee.
The new sports facility is versatile in terms of accessibility for children with different abilities, as well as adaptability for various sports: handball, tennis, volleyball, and basketball can be played here. With its opening, students with disabilities (out of 386 students at this school, 29 have limited mobility) will be able to participate in team sports, which will have a beneficial effect on their physical and emotional health.
The facility was built in three months by local organisations: the Novopolotsk branch of UP "Institute Vitebskgrazhdanproekt" handled the design, Trust No. 16 carried out all construction and installation work, the capital construction department provided engineering services, and Miramet company manufactured the sports equipment. Only the production and installation of the seamless rubber flooring were handled by a Vitebsk firm.
The opening ceremony of the sports ground will take place on the morning of September 2nd near Secondary School No. 8, followed by a sports relay race in which schoolchildren with different physical abilities will participate.
The results of the project "Novopolotsk – From an Inclusive School to an Inclusive City," implemented by the Novopolotsk City Executive Committee with the financial support of the European Union, will be summarised in November. Previously, thanks to this initiative, a lift was installed at Secondary School No. 8, a distance learning classroom was opened, and the Palace of Children and Youth was adapted for the needs of children with limited mobility. The final facility of the project will be the children's health camp "Izumrudny," where it is planned to reconstruct one of the buildings and create elements of a barrier-free environment.