Иван Янев
История на спортен клуб на хора с увреждания „Витоша“ (53) (Софийски университет
2001–2007 г.)

РЕЗЮМЕ НА АНГЛИЙСКИ ЕЗИК^[1]
SUMMARY

History of Sports Club for People with Disabilities “Vitosha”

University of Sofia

2001–2007

Sports for people with disabilities are as necessary as they are for people without disabilities. They are similarly divided into those for health and pleasure, and those for reaching high sport results (competitive sports). The difference of course is that sports for people with disabilities have their own rules. There are adapted sports which are changed in certain ways, so that the person/people with disabilities are able to practice them and the essence is preserved. However, there are specialized sports, i.e. such sports that are designed and created especially for people with disabilities. Such sports are for example goalball, torball, etc. that are for people with visual impairment. There are more sports of course and most probably their number will increase because in the developed countries where there are conditions, the people develop themselves, and sports are one of the most important mechanisms for correct living and a life of a full value. For people with some kinds of disabilities sports have an essential rehabilitation function. Currently, when a large part of society has one disability or another, no matter if they are visible or invisible, actions will be increasingly taken in the direction of adaptation for those people to become members of a full value in the modern social society.

The time when people with disabilities have been separated in special schools, sheltered workshops, complexes, institutional homes, etc. is irretrievably gone and hopefully that cycle never repeats itself. It is true that in Bulgaria until 1989 people with disabilities did not have difficulties as far as their living was concerned because the State was taking care of their living and for everybody there was pension, as well as an insured job in a sheltered workshop. However, the efforts were put mainly towards their isolation from the society which is an unacceptable policy. It is true that it is much easier to organize a sheltered workshop in which people with disabilities work than to integrate those people into different enterprises where their working places need to be adapted, but that is the correct model and the developed countries, namely, implement that model. Of course, the role of the sheltered workshops is quite important because not all people with disabilities can have employment integration. The sheltered workshops are adjusted and even necessary, mainly for people with low educational qualification or such that have additional illnesses that do not allow them to have successful employment integration on the common labor market.

Until the political change in 1989, the situation for sports had been very favorable because financial subsidies had been plentiful and there were no major problems to develop sports among people with disabilities. However, at that time things had been quite stereotypical because the unions for people with disabilities had been the organizations that received the State subsidy, and they distributed it to places and activities. Activities for people with visual impairment had been initiated by the Bulgarian Blind Union (BBU). However, with the coming of the so-called democracy the unions began to lose their formal manner and importance as the leader for people with disabilities. Many non-governmental organizations began, but on a much smaller scale, of course. However, they specialized in different activities. Such are the sport clubs that have been established by young and not so young people that were willing to practice sports. In the 90’s, when the economic stagnation was quite advanced, BBU abdicated sports activities for people with visual impairment. That is the main reason why sports among visually impaired people disappeared.

The fire of sports has continued to flicker in both schools for children with visual impairment in Sofia and Varna. However, after the students have graduated from the schools there are no places to continue their sport activities. The situation has turned out to be harmful for the only collective sport for visually impaired people that has been practiced in Bulgaria and that had been exclusively well developed until the end of the 80’s and the beginning of the 90’s of XX century. That sport has been discussed in caf?s and at parties but nobody has taken the responsibility for its renaissance and further development. This is an increasingly difficult task which requires good mathematicians. However, the created situation in Bulgaria has been in all aspects absurd. Many people had accepted mockingly the wish of the visually impaired people to practice sports in a moment when, especially in the middle of the 90’s, it was difficult to ensure one’s own living. However, the conditions slowly, very slowly have begun to change. Bulgaria became a candidate for a member of the European Union. In the European Union there are rules which all members need to follow. Bulgaria needed to come a long way towards full membership in the EU. That full membership, fortunately for the people in unequal status, has assisted their integration into society. Of course, the integration process is long but Bulgaria needed to demonstrate the will to lead it to a successful end. Otherwise Bulgaria will have no chance to join the EU which main principle is the principle of equality.

So, especially since the beginning of the new century in Bulgaria, things have begun to happen that in the past were seen as utopia. People with disabilities have begun to be employed in companies and organizations where they have been earning their income on their own. Conversations about sports have begun among the people with disabilities. Sport Clubs have begun to be established with goals of practicing one or another type of sport. The time has come to restore goalball. The principal Sport Club for People with Disabilities Vitosha has saddled itself exclusively with that difficult task. The young people that are members in that organization have had athletic qualities necessary for the renaissance of the sport, as well as a will for accomplishing the cause. This was not just a desire/wish, but also a cause because goalball is a collective and not an individual sport, i.e. it requires more means, more time, and more human resources. That they were not experienced as activists in the non-governmental sector was in their favor because if they knew how many and what kind of barriers were waiting for them, maybe they would never have found the courage necessary to begin the cause for goalball. After the beginning of the renovation of Bulgarian goalball the organization also had to think of other sports which could be distributed among the sightless in Bulgaria. One of the sports which requires minimal conditions to practice is chess. Light sports have also been in demand among visually impaired people in the past.

Later, when the Sport Club became an affiliated member of the Department of Sport at the University of Sofia St. Kliment Ohridski, the responsibility became even greater but the organization already had some experience and it could manage without a challenge. Of course, that was a great honor for the Student Sport Club because the University of Sofia is the first and the most elite higher school in Bulgaria. Not only has the renaissance of the only collective sport for visually impaired that has been practiced in Bulgaria been reached, but it has developed and even blossomed. However, until those moments were reached, it was necessary to overcome not only one barrier but a mountain of problems. Vitosha’s work style has been very different from the style of the majority of non-governmental organizations in Bulgaria. Vitosha was not an organization which simply existed without a path, but it was an organization that had a clearly defined mission. The mission at certain moments was impossible but the Club has found strength to stand up and to continue forward. The non-governmental sector is quite inconstant because there is no regular budgeting, work is carried out mainly under projects that soon or later finish. However goalball has been and still is a cause and it was not possible to wait for projects in order to restore it and develop it. It has permanent needs because otherwise it must continually return to the starting position (i.e.: again to be in lethargy). That moment fortunately in one way or another has been prevented. But until when? That is the question. Vitosha annually relies on the State, and annually the State does not give its support for the interesting and dynamic sport. However, after Bulgaria became a full EU member on January 1, 2007 all are optimistic that a mechanism for sustainability, for that and other sports, will be created.

The Sport Club Vitosha has played and continues to play a decisive role for the practice, development and sustainability of the sport among the people with disabilities and especially for those with visual impairment. Even though at certain moments the management of the organization is sharply expresses themselves, it can be clamed with a high degree of certainty that it does not have outright enemies. An old truth is that junction creates strength, but namely, that maxim renders the people most difficult. Vitosha has proved with its activity to everything and everybody that in no way will it step back from its principles for the development of sport among people in unequal status. Of course, the organization is quite convinced that it is necessary to have different approaches for different sports, because the needs of every single sport are different and specific (i.e.: a generalization cannot be made here). Some are the specifics of the collective sports, and others are the specifics for individual sports.

However, for that short historical period the organization established its vision as a factor which all should consider. Vitosha has proved that it works straightforwardly and that it does not get influenced by juncture changes. They have proved that they fight for the cause persistently and consecutively because the Renaissance and development of the Bulgarian goalball is a cause, and not an ordinary caprice.

Together with their cause Vitosha has developed other activities that one day will also potentially contribute to its positive image. However, at the current stage they should be grateful to the goalball cause because otherwise the organization could not have had the current positions that are quite favorable for useful follow-up work. Now, when Bulgaria is already a full member of the European Union, all are waiting for the conditions to change and for the so-called lobby (which until now in Bulgaria can be equalized to the concept relations which were popular until 1989 and after that) to take effect. Goalball should lobby on a European scale if it wants to keep and enlarge the position that it has managed to conquer for these few years. Even though the norms and regulations provide a decent sport activity for people with disabilities, in practice things are mostly unacceptable for a regular sport activity.

However, there is no way not to feel proud of the fact that a non-governmental organization with such a short existence has succeeded to restore and develop the only collective sport for visually impaired people that has been practiced in Bulgaria. Behind it is the organization and administration of eight complete goalball competitions, seven of which are with international participation, and three of which are Open Goal ball Tournaments for the Cup of Bulgaria.

It must be pointed out that everything possible is being done for the development of chess for the sightless. Its members have participated in tournaments abroad more than once, and have hosted and organized tournaments more than once as well. It is true that chess does not yet have the same solid position as goalball, but it is also true that its practice in the Club started at a later stage. Nonetheless, chess has favorable premises to go through a qualitative and successful development at least because of the fact that activists from the organization have already gained the organizational experience which they were lacking when they established the Club.

Salsa is also receiving understanding on the behalf of the management, but the salsa-dancers need to decide on their own which way for them is more difficult and which way is more correct — the way of their belonging to the organization, the way of autonomy or the way of independence. Whatever they decide the organization will understand and support them.

Integration is a quite large and difficult topic, so that undoubtedly the organization also has large area for action. This is because the integration part of a sport can be: educational, employment-related and, maybe most importantly, social. A leading motive for the activity of Vitosha in the future is undoubtedly the enlargement of its international contacts. The golden key for solving a large part of the problems faced by people with disabilities in Bulgaria is hidden internationally. This is because good practices exist in Europe and in the world — they simply have to be studied and adapted for Bulgarian conditions!

After Bulgaria becomes a member of the European Union friends of goalball can only hope and work for the upwards change of the status quo of the sport. The people in Bulgaria from which the development of sports depends have proved that they are absolute scholars in terms of goalball but they are not able to find the heal-all for its correct development. The hopes of all are related to the EU which should place tangible pressure on the Government to regularly REGULATE AND develop sports among people with disabilities.

In Bulgaria there are two schools for children with visual impairment. Neither of them have the appropriate base for goalball activity. Where then can that sport be developed? Why for so many years was it not possible to provide the conditions for the sport’s teachers in both schools in order to teach the students about goalball? When will our Government stop turning society against people with disabilities by throwing media bombs stating that it is doing many things for them? Of course, the Government does not have money for this, and the minorities and people of unequal status are guilty of this as well. However, the difference between us and the so-called developed countries is that developed countries have understood that no matter whether one has a disability or not, or whether one has the origin of a minority or not, if he/she has potential that potential should be developed from and for the advancement of the country.

Goalball deserves its place in the family of sports in Bulgaria because it is the only collective sport for the visually impaired that is developing in Bulgaria, and because it is exclusively attractive. Last but not least, it is a sport that is not adapted for visually impaired but it is designed especially for those people. People without visual impairment can also participate in goalball but of course only in non-official matches because IBSA forbids people without similar types of disabilities to practice it at official forums. That organization should very soon break its conservatism because it will be of a great advantage for goalball if it finds followers among people without visual impairments. There are no problems which exist for goalball to be practiced by sighted people, because all playing goalball are obliged to wear eye-shades (i.e.: all are in equal conditions). Vitosha will continue to advocate for that point of view of the members in front of IBSA and maybe one day there will be also players without visual impairment at official competitions.

Unfortunately, a whole goalball generation is passing away to which a chance to completely show and develop its abilities and potential was not given. It is also unfortunate that in the schools there are no conditions to work for the goalball and in the near future it is not possible to see deserving change for the current talented generation.

Soon or later the Government will begin to conduct an adequate and contiguous policy for the diversification of the sport among people in unequal status because the start of their process of inclusion in social society is irreversible.

The Club for five years has developed in a such a way that its member have decided that they are ready for its transformation in National Organization for Sport and Integration Vitosha, but the Sport Club remained as one of the two main departments. The second department is Sector Integration. The broad concept of integration supposes many different interpretations, but without feigning exactness that term should be approached as inclusion of people with disabilities in the life of the society. Not A PSEUDO inclusion however, but a true inclusion. NOSI Vitosha with the enlargement of its activities in the direction of socializing people in unequal status has undoubtedly undertaken a great challenge. Only after a long enough period of time an objective assessment can be done — whether the members of the organization have taken the right steps or have overestimated their abilities. The beginning of the integration activity is quite optimistic and if the speed is maintained, only after a few years enough material will be collected for writing a more DETAILED book concerning that section of the activity of the organization. There are many organizations in Bulgaria, pretending that they are advocating for the rights of the vulnerable. However, most of those organizations are not doing what they tell the media they are doing, but they are simply looking for means for living. Many of those organizations do not know deeply the problems of people with disabilities. They are various. The problems for the visually impaired are very specific, yet absolutely different than those of people with hearing impairments… and again, absolutely different than those of people with motor or mental disabilities. However, the main task in front of the organization remains employment integration (i.e.: enough information and practice should be provided in order to serve to convince employers that people with disabilities are also work efficient).

Educational integration is also not a small challenge. Even though a rapid increase of visually impaired students can be observed in the last about ten years, the problems for gaining a higher degree are many and different. It is true that with the introduction of computer technologies many barriers are overcome but people with disabilities need to overcome many other barriers until they graduate.

No matter which field of integration the organization will start working on, there is a wide area for action. Almost all members of Vitosha are people with higher degrees and work experience which will allow them from a practical point of view to search for solutions to many issues.

As the ancient Chinese Philosopher Kong Fuci says: “Better light a small candle than to curse the darkness.” That thought can be considered a credo of the organization because it has proved many times that it acts in that way.