Socio-cultural event in Novo Mesto: Sports Day for Blind and Visually Impaired Children

July 2024

On Wednesday, July 3, 2024, our Pilot site in Novo Mesto, the Olympic Centre, hosted a sports day for blind and visually impaired children. The event catered to 19 children aged 7 to 21 and their 10 companions, who were on vacation at a summer camp organized by the Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired of Slovenia. The children enjoyed a variety of activities, including exploring the sensory learning forest trail for the blind and partially sighted, horse riding at the Equestrian School Sports Centre in Češča vas, and swimming at the Novo Mesto Swimming Pool.

“I am delighted that children from all over Slovenia came to Novo Mesto to spend a holiday day surrounded by the greenery of the Olympic Centre. Since the establishment of the Centre, we’ve emphasized that it is a space for everyone, not just athletes, to enjoy quality free time and relax in a natural environment. We are especially pleased when the Centre’s diverse and green infrastructure encourages movement among children, youth, the elderly, and other vulnerable groups, and is used for therapeutic purposes,” said Jana Bolta Saja, Director of the Municipal Administration of Novo Mesto. She joined the participants on a sensory journey, experiencing simulated visual impairments with special glasses.

Damjan Goršek, Vice President of the Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired of Slovenia, expressed gratitude to the Municipality of Novo Mesto for their support. “We appreciate when local communities recognize the needs of the blind and partially sighted and help improve our quality of life. Often, municipalities do more than the state in this area,” he noted.

Uroš Pleskovič from the Novo Mesto Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired highlighted the sensory learning forest trail’s significance. “The trail, designed with local architects from the Est=etika association and the Municipality of Novo Mesto in 2022, is increasingly popular. This year, we took two classes of primary school children on a walk along the sensory learning forest path, which was also introduced to participants of the sports day for immigrants in early June,” he explained.

The Novo Mesto Olympic Centre is committed to accommodating people with various disabilities. The swimming pool, originally built to be accessible, added a lift in February 2024 with the support of the VARCITIES , enabling people with mobility impairments to access the water. The Equestrian School Sports Centre in Češča vas offers hippotherapy, and the sensory learning forest trail, adapted for the blind and partially sighted, provides an enriching experience for all visitors. It features a tactile map for orientation and information boards to raise awareness about blindness and impaired vision, allowing exploration of the forest through touch, smell, and sound.

Discover more about Novo Mesto’s Pilot on their Pilot page.