INAS-FID adopts sailing

by Media Services on 9 May 2007 The International Sports Federation for Persons with Intellectual Disability (INAS-FID) has adopted sailing as its 13th sport. This decision followed a presentation by Ms Jackie Kay AM, Secretary of Sailability World, at the INAS-FID Conference and General Assembly in Tunisia on 19-22 April.

Jackie is also a member of the Development Committee of the International Association for Disabled Sailing (IFDS) and a member of the IPC Development Committee’s Experts Network.

Sailability World (SW) is an international cooperative network of national Sailability associations seeking to develop sailing worldwide for people of all abilities. Sailability World is eager to take sailing to developing nations, and also works to include sailors with any kind of disability, the elderly and disadvantaged people into mainstream activities.

IFDS is a member of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), but persons with an intellectual disability are ineligible to compete under current IFDS rules or in IPC events. SW will work with INAS-FID in staging international and other sailing championships for sailors with an intellectual disability.

While many sailors with an intellectual disability are already active members of Sailability clubs, future INAS-FID approved events will provide much needed competition pathways.

Phil Vardy, President, Sailability World, said:'Sailability World looks forward to working with IFDS, using the experience gained from these regattas, to develop integration of people with intellectual disabilities within IFDS activities and events.'

www.sailability.org
www.nsw.yachting.org.au