President signs law on development of adaptive sports

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed Law of Ukraine No. 4370-IX, which lays the foundation for a system of adaptive sports development as a separate area of physical culture.

"Adaptive sport has been about dignity, the power of recovery and the participation of everyone in the common success story of Ukraine. This law is an important step towards creating a barrier-free society. It will help organisations that will develop adaptive sports become more capable," said Matvii Bidnyi, Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine.

For the first time, adaptive sports has been recognised as a separate area of legislation, which aims to engage people with disabilities and limited daily functioning in physical activity, thereby facilitating their rehabilitation, inclusion and full participation in public life.

From now on, the centres of physical health of the population are officially designated as entities that will implement adaptive sports activities at the national, regional and local levels. This strengthens the role of local communities and opens up new opportunities for the development of initiatives to engage people with disabilities across the country. It also provides for the participation of sports federations in the development of adaptive sports.

This Law is a logical continuation of the systemic work of the Ministry, which develops adaptive sports, forms a network of adaptive clubs across the country, supports physical activity programmes and initiatives for veterans, people with disabilities and other social groups in need of support. The adoption of this Law is another step towards the implementation of the National Strategy for Creating a Barrier-Free Environment in Ukraine until 2030, initiated by First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska.