National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA India) will break ground on Friday when it hosts an Inclusion Conclave for the first time to sharpen the focus on anti-doping education and processes for athletes with disabilities. Secretary Department Sports Sujata Chaturvedi, UN Resident Coordinator Shombi Sharp and WADA Asia-Oceania Regional Office Manager, Kenny Lee, will address the conclave.
NADA India has already developed comprehensive modules on anti-doping education & awareness in Universal Design of Learning (UDL) for athletes with disabilities. UDL is a multi-modal framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all persons using sign language visual representation, transcribed subtitles and content audio. Some material, usually available in print only, has now been produced in Braille and audio formats as well. Besides, NADA India has conducted sensitisation workshops for Dope Control Officers (DCO) who collect samples from athletes with disabilities and has upgraded the DCO kit for such athletes.
In a further step towards building an inclusive anti-doping landscape in India, the conclave will take a holistic view, including sessions on the policy landscape and legal framework, challenges faced by such athletes, education of and engagement with such athletes and Doping Control processes for athletes with disabilities.
Besides Deepa Malik, G Mahanteesh, Kavitha Suresh and Suresh Kumar who head federations for sports for athletes with disabilities, the participation of para-athletes like Singhraj Adhana and Sharad Kumar as well as coach Maha Singh Rao in the discussions will sharpen the focus on anti-doping matters in sport for athletes with disabilities.
Institute of National Anti-Doping Organisations (iNADO) CEO Jorge Leyva, Asian Paralympic Committee, Anti-Doping Sub-Committee Chairman Dr Badrul Rashid, University of Birmingham's Prof. Ian Bradley and International Inclusion and Para Sports expert Dr Halim Jebali headline the panelists from overseas who will join an array of Indian experts.
The conclave will be followed by a two-hour long inclusive anti-doping education workshop for Athletes with Disabilities with a focus on Therapeutic Use Exemption, Doping Control Process, Anti-Doping Rule Violations as well the rights and responsibilities of athletes with disabilities and support personnel.
( With inputs from ANI )
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