Category: Gezin / family

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IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 5 (Thursday 11 August): Match day 2

Entry 5 of an assistant’s web-log of the IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Cup 2022 Sursee

Another exciting day ahead for my son and his team mates of the Belgian National Powerchair Hockey Team. Another day to do what they came for as participants of the IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Cup 2022 that is happening 9-14 August in Sursee, Switzerland: play powerchair hockey.

In the afternoon we will face home team Switzerland. The prospect of an afternoon match makes waking up and some morning rituals a bit more relaxed.

A group of Belgian players and assistants (including my son and I) depart for the world cup arena before lunch already (using the organization’s shuttle service). We want to watch the game Italy-Netherlands live and on-site (rather than watching the livestream in a meeting room of the hotel). From the report about yesterday (Entry 4 of my assistant’s web-log of the IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Cup 2022 Sursee: “Match day 1”) you will undoubtedly remember how we already played against both teams and how difficult that was. Understatement.

Now, the game between the ruling World Champion (Italy) and the ruling European Champion (the Netherlands) couldn’t have been better.

WHAT . A . GAME

I can’t imagine a better way to promote the sport of powerchair hockey! This game has energy, passion, emotions, incredibly skilled players, strategic moves, intelligent (thus highly irritating) blocking actions, a red card, a yellow card, team interplay, smart substitutions. In the 2×40 minutes there was not one single dull moment. These teams play a different ball game (in a different universe). Final score: 1-8 (in favor of the Netherlands).

New for me is the fact that there are speed controls during the game. Remember from Entry 2 of my assistant’s web-log of the IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Cup 2022 Sursee (“Checking in and being checked out (part 1)”) that the powerchairs of all players are checked twice before the tournament starts. The goal is to verify that their maximum speed does not exceed 15 km/h. During the game such checks happen too. I am learning all the time. The clock is stopped and a player is asked to drive his machine on the test bank.

By the way, the red card I referred to in the Italy-Netherlands game was the result of such a check. An Italian player did a manipulation of his wheelchair after the check before re-entering the pitch, probably turning off the cooling. This is forbidden. It means that the player turned on the cooling before the check. But the machine checked should be the machine as used in play. A red card means leaving the game and being suspended for the next game. A yellow card means that a player needs to leave the field for 5 minutes.

Other novelties for me, things I’ve never seen happen before, are a few broken floorsticks and–more scary–a few powerchairs turned on their side. If you wonder how it is possible, I do too. Even now that I have seen it actually happen…

Other things I’ve learned is that there is a reason why we have so few female players in Team Belgium (because players are a lot recruited from among people with neuromuscular problems, which are often men) and why there are no players from the Walloon part of Belgium (they focus on Powerchair Soccer which is sponsored by Fifa). Another important limitation to the skill level of the national team is that in Belgium people get granted a powerchair quite late and a sports chair has to be purchased privately (where for instance in certain parts of the Netherlands there is a government intervention possible). 

After lunch we enter the arena where we will face the organizing country Switzerland. Before the game the players drive and play around in order to warm up their bodies but also the engines of their powerchair. Another pre-game activity is a short material check. That is rather minimalist: the sticks are verified and it is checked whether the floorball can freely pass under a chair (which is a requirement).

As the mid-game score shows (7-0) it is indeed not an easy game. Switzerland has been doing very well so far, probably with some additional motivation of playing before their cheering home crowd. Our son enters the pitch to play the last 5-6 minutes, at a score of 10-0.

Our son playing against Switzerland

I am obviously biased and not an expert. Still, I dare say that he did make a difference, even for the short time that he played, even more than he did in the game against the intergalactic team of the Netherlands yesterday. As you can imagine, it is again not what a driven and ambitious player, eager to learn and improve, hopes for. We’ve also still no idea about what goes through the mind of the coach. The uncertainty and non-communication is probably even worse than not playing or playing just a short period.

After the game (final score: 12-0) our team receives compliments from the Swiss coach for our way of playing given the young and unexperienced team that we still are.

Whew!

Match day 2 left us again with a feeling of accomplishment albeit with even more mixed feelings too. More time to play! Tomorrow…

I hope you will enjoy reading all about our adventure for which I envision following episodes:

  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 0: Introduction
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 1 (Sunday 7 August): Gotta go
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 2 (Monday 8 August): Checking in and being checked out (part 1)
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 3 (Tuesday 9 August): Checking in and being checked out (part 2)
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 4 (Wednesday 10 August): Match day 1
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 5 (Thursday 11 August): Match day 2 (what you are reading)
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 6 (Friday 12 August): Match day 3
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 7 (Saturday 13 August): Play-offs
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 8 (Sunday 14 August): Finals
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 9 (Monday 15 August): After-day

If you want to watch any of the games, check out the IWAS YouTube channel where all will be broadcasted: https://www.youtube.com/c/powerchairhockey/.

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IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 4 (Wednesday 10 August): Match day 1

Entry 4 of an assistant’s web-log of the IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Cup 2022 Sursee

An exciting day ahead for my son and his team mates of the Belgian National Powerchair Hockey Team who are participating in the IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Cup 2022 that is happening 9-14 August in Sursee, Switzerland.

After a few days of checking in and being checked out (see Entry 2 and Entry 3 of my assistant’s web-log of the IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Cup 2022 Sursee), today we finally can go to ‘work’. We have two matches to play: against the Netherlands and against Italy. Neither game is going to be an easy task. The Netherlands is generally accepted as the best powerchair hockey country around and they are the ruling European Champion, while Italy is the ruling World Champion. Team Italy won the world title at the world cup in 2018 in front of their home crowd. If that hasn’t been goose bumps, I don’t know what would.

The game against the Netherlands quickly confirms the justness of their (informal) world leader status in my (admitted: unexperienced) eyes. What a team to play against! So fast, so assertive, super hard hitters on the ball, total ball control at the tip of their sticks, finding each other blindly even when moving around all the time, genius blocking actions. I am no expert but even I see how this team is perfecting the game. That finding is hard to be decoupled from my observation that they are by far the most professional team I’ve seen at the event. Fyi. They do their own live, real-time video analysis during the game. This certainly looks like a candidate world champion to me. A Dutch contact however claims that Denmark is of the same level as the Netherlands. I just might be jumping to conclusions too quickly. Which is not really a surprise…

Young Maxime Decrock in the game against Switzerland

Our team, being a young and newly composed team, works hard, searches and…learns about playing at this level. The hard way. I do wonder if they couldn’t have been better prepared for the sort of play that is played here? Our coach has been at every single world championship after all. Just a thought. I am learning all the time.

In my view, young Maxime Decrock deserves a special word of appreciation and admiration. He was brought into the team during the first half and he did what needed to be done and what he does so greatly: dance around the pitch and sting like a bee!

Our son is only brought into the game 5 minutes before the end at a score of 0-20. Fyi. A game has 2 halves of 20 minutes of playing each, with a break of 10 minutes in between. Still, as a father, I was proud to see him playing his first minutes at an official world championship, even if it was only so short and in a completely lost game. As an observer, I truly believe his presence made a difference. Judging by the fact that he was explicitly targeted for being blocked a few times leaves me with the impression that he did a good job. I am though well aware that this also raises the issue that he should try to avoid ending up in a position of being vulnerable to being blocked. I find myself in a state of being convinced that his good play will not go unnoticed for the coach.

Our son as he entered the arena for the game against the Netherlands

I am continuously looking around, processing observations and absorbing insights. Despite the absence of a limitation on the number of substitutions, it doesn’t look like Team Belgium uses it as a strategic tool as much as other teams do. I am learning all the time.

And furthermore, who could have imagined this in November 2007? (when he was diagnosed with DMD, at the age of 6) Or in the fall of 2015? (when he was expelled from the Belgian boyscouts movement because of being in a manual wheelchair and when he started playing powerchair hockey–two loosely related events)

The mid-game score of the game against the Netherlands is 0-12. Final score: 0-23.

Our son playing against the Netherlands

The afternoon game against Italy is—again—a difficult one, as expected. Italy demonstrates why they are the ruling world champion. Although rumours say that they are a rather defensive team, they put a lot of forward pressure on our team, allowing us little to no room to escape the area of our own goal. Fyi. A powerchair hockey goal is about 2 meters wide, but no more than 15 cm high. Similar to other versions of hockey, players can go around the goal. I am obviously just beginning to know the game, but, despite the similar score (mid-game: 0-11; final: 0-19), the way the Netherlands played the game impressed me a lot more.

Our son wasn’t given the chance to play against Italy. We have no idea why (not).

Team Belgium and Team Italy greeting the audience

Given his ambitions and the fire of the sportsman that I know is burning in him, I have some good evening conversations with my son about the result, the team’s performance and his frustration of not being able to contribute. Sometimes a dad can’t do a lot more than being available, listen and try to motivate him to work hard and do the best he can. And my son, being the driven athlete that he is, is not supposed to be happy with the result anyhow, right?

Nevertheless, the atmosphere in the arena has been impressive and outstanding. It is vibrant and full of noisy cheering, but all in a spirit of fairness and sportspersonship.

Whew!

Match day 1 left us with a feeling of accomplishment albeit with some mixed feelings too. More time to play! Tomorrow…

I hope you will enjoy reading all about our adventure for which I envision following episodes:

  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 0: Introduction
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 1 (Sunday 7 August): Gotta go
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 2 (Monday 8 August): Checking in and being checked out (part 1)
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 3 (Tuesday 9 August): Checking in and being checked out (part 2)
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 4 (Wednesday 10 August): Match day 1 (what you are reading)
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 5 (Thursday 11 August): Match day 2
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 6 (Friday 12 August): Match day 3
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 7 (Saturday 13 August): Play-offs
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 8 (Sunday 14 August): Finals
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 9 (Monday 15 August): After-day

If you want to watch any of the games, check out the IWAS YouTube channel where all will be broadcasted: https://www.youtube.com/c/powerchairhockey/.

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IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 3 (Tuesday 9 August): Checking in and being checked out (part 2)

Entry 3 of an assistant’s web-log of the IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Cup 2022 Sursee

After two days of ‘horror’, that means having to wake up early for different reasons, my son and I are now enjoying breakfast at a more decent time. Which means we have slept a bit longer. I notice how my son goes for the ‘traditional’ breakfast that our kids always go for in the context of a hotel stay with a buffet: scrambled eggs, sausage(s) and bacon.

But, then it’s time to get serious again. After all, we are here because my son is a player in the Belgian National Powerchair Hockey Team and is as such participating in the IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Cup 2022 that is happening 9-14 August in Sursee, Switzerland.

The seriousness of today starts with having yet another aspect of the athletes being checked out. In a “classification” process every player is interviewed and assessed by a panel on various aspects: their physical capabilities and abilities, mobility, strength. That assessment leads to the assignment of a number of points to a player, where a higher number is an indication of higher mobility and strength. Fyi. 0.5 is the minimum and 3.5 is considered very high. This is important because a team is not allowed to have more than 12 points on the pitch during a game. There is no limitation to substituting players during the game, but there can never be more than 12 points in the field.

The classification is indirectly also an indication of the ability to hold a floor stick or having to play with a T-stick (for not being able to play with a stick in hand). A T-stick is a stick attached to the powerchair. Many of the athletes have progressive disabilities, meaning it gets worse over time. That is the case for our son, by the way. Others are just born with less physical abilities. As players score low, or lower and lower over time, they might reach the point of getting scored 1.0 or less, which is often the point where they go from playing with a hand stick to playing with a T-stick. That is also important for the team composition because, next to having no more than 12 points in play, a team is required to have minimally one T-stick player on the field, besides the goal keeper who also plays with a T-stick. So, there can never be more than 3 hand stick players in play at the same time for a team, as the game is played 5 against 5.

The outcome of this step of the classification process however is only a temporary score. The classifiers (you can recognize them by the green shirts that they wear) are attending games to verify their findings against the actual performance and behavior of a player on the field. The temporary score can still be corrected upon their observations. It is only after the first round of the world cup, the group phase, that the final score is assigned (Friday 12 August). A player needs to have a final score to be allowed to play in the finals phase of the world cup (Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 August). That does therefore imply that a player must have some chances to actually play during the first round.

And maybe you will remember the “IPCH Classification Consent form” that we needed to submit as mentioned in “Entry 2 of an assistant’s web-log of the IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Cup 2022 Sursee“? That is the document in which the players accept that the international classification takes precedence over the national one.

I must admit that the whole “classification” procedure was far less formalistic and bureaucratic than I had feared. The team of classifiers (3 people) were open, clear and patient in taking our son through the complete scenario. There was total transparency about the classifiers’ score on individual topics as well as combined results. And the temporary-final score was as expected, holding that it is also lower than the last national check. Our son went from 2.5 to 1.5. I am pretty sure it won’t change when the final score is determined.

Note: I was allowed to take pictures of the classification process but only with the consent of the classification team and the people present from Team Belgium and only for the potential use in a book that one of the classifiers is writing. It is about the classification process, so not really for the general public. I wish Kees the best of luck with writing his handbook for classifiers! Having written a few books and papers myself, I know how much work goes into it.

This step concluded all tests and assessments that our son had to undergo which means he is now actually allowed to actually play:

  • Documents control? ☑️
  • Speed check (forward, reverse)? ☑️
  • Powerchair and equipment compliance? ☑️
  • Classification? ☑️

After lunch the team has a light tactical training at the training location. Ending a training by asking all players to do a few shoot-out penalties is a bit of a tradition as well.

But, obviously, the BIG MOMENT of today is the OPENING CEREMONY of the world championship. Yesterday we felt pretty overwhelmed entering the arena for the first time, going on the pitch for the first time, getting our materials checked again.

But…this is the REAL, REAL THING, and more than overwhelming.

Being a total emotional softy, I also had a few tears rolling down my cheeks a few times, thinking about the honour of being there with the team, the pride of our son being in the team, considering the long road of getting there, the many complications and difficulties encountered during his life so far, his persistence and ambitions. Even at the national anthem being played. It wasn’t easy, it isn’t easy and it will never be (easy). But there are moments when we realize that the fight is worthwhile.

I was proud to be able to join Team Belgium in the parade with all of the other teams to greet the audience, accept the appreciation from the audience, show our gratitude for being at the event and remember the loved ones who are no longer with us.

Personally, I salute all players, their assistants and the staff members for the hard work they put into their sports and their lives, the persistence they show in addressing and overcoming the many, many challenges that they meet in their daily lives as well in their sport. Believe me, they can fill a few blogs with stories…

Whew!

We are sooooo glad that the days of checking in and being checked out are over. Time to play! Tomorrow…

I hope you will enjoy reading all about our adventure for which I envision following episodes:

  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 0: Introduction
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 1 (Sunday 7 August): Gotta go
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 2 (Monday 8 August): Checking in and being checked out (part 1)
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 3 (Tuesday 9 August): Checking in and being checked out (part 2) (what you are reading)
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 4 (Wednesday 10 August): Match day 1
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 5 (Thursday 11 August): Match day 2
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 6 (Friday 12 August): Match day 3
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 7 (Saturday 13 August): Play-offs
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 8 (Sunday 14 August): Finals
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 9 (Monday 15 August): After-day

If you want to watch any of the games, check out the IWAS YouTube channel where all will be broadcasted: https://www.youtube.com/c/powerchairhockey/.

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IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 2 (Monday 8 August): Checking in and being checked out (part 1)

Entry 2 of an assistant’s web-log of the IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Cup 2022 Sursee

My son and I witness the breaking of dawn of yet another day. It is the second day in a row (O, the horror!) that we have to get up horribly early. Unless we want to skip breakfast, which is a ‘no go’ ‘no brainer’. The reason that breakfast happens, as planned and thus not completely unexpected, at the unholy time of 7am is that a light warm-up training is planned at 9am. Anyone in for a game of 5 why’s?

But, hey, we are not here* to relax in the end. We are here because my son is a player in the Belgian National Powerchair Hockey Team and is as such participating in the IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Cup 2022 that is happening 9-14 August in Sursee, Switzerland. So far, luckily, that prospect (of playing: exciting) but also the weather (pretty hot) and the company (lovely) still make up for those horrific get-up experiences that we have been forced to go through so far.

* ‘here’ refers to the hotel Sempachersee near the…Sempachersee (where ‘See’ = lake because ‘Meer’ = sea**)

** See entry 1 of an assistant’s web-log of the IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Cup 2022 Sursee

The light warm-up training is happening at the training location near the hotel. Allow me to add that next to a number of beautiful training halls, the area next to the hotel also includes a hospital, a research centre (the ‘Guido Zäch Institut’), a swimming pool and various other outside sports facilities for athletes with disabilities. The hotel is actually part of the the Swiss Paraplegic Center (SPZ), which thus comprises all facilities mentioned.

The training is followed by the “document control” phase. If you wonder what that is, you need to know first that next to being selected for the national world cup team (which is a decision made by the national coach based on–let’s say–‘technical’ criteria) our son/athlete (ahum, his father did all the work actually) needed to fill in (or get filled in) and share a number of documents. This included a “Medical Diagnosis Form”, a “Medical Report”, a “Therapeutic Use Exemption Application form”, the (signed) “Code of Conduct” and the “IPCH Classification Consent form”. As a reward for all that hard work we received a “Certificate of Approval for Therapeutic Use” (TUE)”, allowing our son to keep taking the medication he needs to take for his rare disorder without it being considered as illegal doping.

Now the time has come for a jury to verify (one by one) that the athletes are who they say they are and suffer from whatever it is they say they suffer from. They are visually matched against their ID which then in turn is expected to correspond to the personal information on all those uploaded (but now printed) documents and the doping exemption (TUE) following from that.

The next check concerns the powerchairs that the players use during the game.

Note that these are specific machines that are different from the powerchairs they use in daily life. Think how a F1 car differs from the cars we use to commute or to go shopping. The maximum speed of a powerchair during a game should not exceed 15 km/h. To verify that they don’t go faster (because it is a configurable parameter), the players need to drive their machine on a test rig and go full throttle while the computer registers the actual speed. Fyi. this is more scary to witness than it sounds.

After lunch, a second (light) training is planned, but this training session is happening in the real venue where the world championship is actually taking place, the Stadthalle Sursee.

First impression? Omg!

And it is more than somewhat overwhelming to go on the floor that was especially constructed for the tournament in a hall that can contain a few thousand spectators. And this is where our team is going to compete with 9 other teams from around the world: (in alphabetic order) Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland.

But, more things need to be checked out. This training is followed by a more comprehensive “materials control” phase. This step holds that all materials that will be used by the players during the games need to be controlled for compliance with the official specifications. This includes the floorball sticks, the powerchairs (remember: their F1 car) and all other ‘equipment’ used while playing, even breathing or voice aids. The chairs were tested again for their speed, but this time not only the forward speed but also the speed when driving in reverse.

And then silly me couldn’t resists asking what it is that the controllers look for when checking out a floorball stick. That was the sign for them to switch from a quick visual check to a thorough, detailed check of our son’s sticks. Aaaaaargh. Some measurements of his sticks turned out to be at the limit, meaning they were barely but…at the right side of the edge. Whew!

Time for a break and some hours and the evening off. Checking in and being checked out is pretty exhausting.

I hope you will enjoy reading all about our adventure for which I envision following episodes:

  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 0: Introduction
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 1 (Sunday 7 August): Gotta go
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 2 (Monday 8 August): Checking in and being checked out (part 1) (what you are reading)
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 3 (Tuesday 9 August): Checking in and being checked out (part 2)
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 4 (Wednesday 10 August): Match day 1
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 5 (Thursday 11 August): Match day 2
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 6 (Friday 12 August): Match day 3
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 7 (Saturday 13 August): Play-offs
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 8 (Sunday 14 August): Finals
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 9 (Monday 15 August): After-day

If you want to watch any of the games, check out the IWAS YouTube channel where all will be broadcasted: https://www.youtube.com/c/powerchairhockey/.

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IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 1 (Sunday 7 August): Gotta go

Entry 1 of an assistant’s web-log of the IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Cup 2022 Sursee

The day started early for my son and me. Unless we wanted to miss the bus that was going to take us and the other team and staff members of the Belgian National Powerchair Hockey Team to the IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Cup 2022, that is happening 9-14 August in Sursee, Switzerland. Hmm, don’t think so. Don’t wanna miss this!

The first thing to do seems to be: to put to the test what one (1) bus can actually hold.

It turns out: 10 athletes, a coach, a team manager, 12 assistants, a driver, 21 powerchairs, 4 mobile lifts, one regular wheelchair, a few shower chairs and a collection of bags and suitcases. Remember: this is what fits into one (1) bus! (Given a little backpack for the bus, called a ski box, attached to the bus after taking my picture). Hmm, not bad. Imagine the teams of Canada and Australia making the trip by plane. I did hear they are renting their sports powerchairs however, which sounds like a disadvantage as players really are one with their chair (and having to drive a different chair breaks that unity).

The rest of the day mainly consists of driving, driving, driving and more…driving. In-between are a few breaks (for a breath of fresh air, leg stretching, a drink, lunch). In total, we are about 10 hours underway, which is actually less than I feared for. Luckily, no traffic jams today. Thanks, Hilaire, for taking us safely across half of Europe!

‘Switzerland’ doesn’t just mean the 2022 world cup of powerchair hockey and 4 official languages, but it also means no Euro (€) and (much worse) the end of 4G (or, at least, the end of free roaming). On the other hand, there is plenty of tunnel visions (meaning: tunnels to be viewed from the inside) as well as depths to cross. And mountains to climb. Those latter challenges however are easier to address sitting in a bus.

Around 6 pm we arrive at the hotel Sempachersee near the…Sempachersee (where ‘See’ = lake because ‘Meer’ = sea*). This is where all 10 teams from around the world will stay and train. We unpack and pack again as rooms get switched because of team members showing solidarity with each others’ needs and requirements.

* I know, I know, this does make a lot less sense in English than it does in Dutch.

However, upon our arrival we get the first bad news of the trip already: breakfast next morning is at 7am. I don’t know how that is to you, but to me that is torture, pure horror.

I hope you will enjoy reading all about our adventure for which I envision following episodes:

  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 0: Introduction
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 1 (Sunday 7 August): Gotta go (what you are reading)
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 2 (Monday 8 August): Checking in and being checked out (part 1)
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 3 (Tuesday 9 August): Checking in and being checked out (part 2)
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 4 (Wednesday 10 August): Match day 1
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 5 (Thursday 11 August): Match day 2
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 6 (Friday 12 August): Match day 3
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 7 (Saturday 13 August): Play-offs
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 8 (Sunday 14 August): Finals
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 9 (Monday 15 August): After-day

If you want to watch any of the games, check out the IWAS YouTube channel where all will be broadcasted: https://www.youtube.com/c/powerchairhockey/.

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IWAS PCH WC 2022 Entry 0: Introduction

Entry 1 of an assistant’s web-log of the IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Cup 2022 Sursee

In November 2007, at the age of 6 and after a disturbingly bumpy road of a few years’ searching for the (medical) cause of his physical problems, our oldest son was diagnosed with “Duchenne” (which is short for “Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy” or DMD, see Wikipedia). It was the end of our search for an explanation but not the end of the bumpy road and our pretty complicated life, certainly taking into account that his brother (2 years younger) has Down Syndrome.

Our ambition was always to avoid our sons’ disabilities to become the centre and the exclusive focus of our family life. After all, they are boys with a disability, not disabled boys (men in the meantime). It wasn’t easy, it isn’t easy and it will never be (easy). But there are moments when we realize that the fight is worthwhile.

Today, July-August 2022, at the age of 20, our son is not only studying History at the Antwerp University but he is also a member of the Belgian National Powerchair Hockey Team.

And he is participating in the world championship of his sport, the IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Cup 2022, that is happening 9-14 August in Sursee, Switzerland.

However, it is not that this just happened overnight.

Our son started playing powerchair hockey in 2015. But the road to membership of the national team started only in early July 2021 when our son last-minute registered for and joined a 3-day training camp for powerchair hockey players. It was a great opportunity for him to play again, after the difficult Corona-period where all activity had been paused (keep in mind that people with neuromuscular and similar problems are a high-risk group for Covid-19, no matter their age). We had no idea but the camp was co-organized by the coach of the national team. By the end of the 3 days, she invited our son to join the training sessions that were being organized to form a team and prepare for the 2022 world cup. She added that the invitation was not a guarantee of being selected for the WC. He was asked because they spotted some good defending and positioning skills and insights in him. And, as with every sport, more is required in powerchair hockey than just blindly attacking and trying to score. Blocking opponents is even an extremely important part of the game.

In the spring of 2022 our son got the pleasant news that he was selected to be actually part of the group going to the World Cup.

I am joining my son as his personal assistent (a role I’ve already been fulfilling for several years). It means I help him dress, undress, wash and daily hygiene, eat, get in/out of bed, visit the restroom, change chairs, transportation. That is therefore my primary focus when traveling to and being with him and the team in Switzerland.

This is us at the world cup ;-)

However, next to taking care of my son, another ambition (honestly, it was a suggestion of my wife) is to report back on our stay and our journey. I figured going back to the origins of a web-log (What’s in a name, right?) and share the story of our presence at the world championship in daily reports. I want to thereby avoid too much over-thinking and re-writing. We’ll see whether that works out. Given that the wifi works out…

I think of these reports as an assistant’s web-logs of the “IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Cup 2022 Sursee”, and I plan to publish them under the heading of “IWAS PCH WC 2022 entries”, where the current blog note is “IWAS PCH WC 2022 Entry 0: Introduction”.

I hope you will enjoy reading all about our adventure for which I envision following episodes:

  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 0: Introduction (what you are reading)
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 1 (Sunday 7 August): Gotta go
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 2 (Monday 8 August): Checking in and being checked out (part 1)
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 3 (Tuesday 9 August): Checking in and being checked out (part 2)
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 4 (Wednesday 10 August): Match day 1
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 5 (Thursday 11 August): Match day 2
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 6 (Friday 12 August): Match day 3
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 7 (Saturday 13 August): Play-offs
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 8 (Sunday 14 August): Finals
  • IWAS PCH WC 2022, Entry 9 (Monday 15 August): After-day

If you want to watch any of the games, check out the IWAS YouTube channel where all will be broadcasted: https://www.youtube.com/c/powerchairhockey/.

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Zijn jongeren met een chronische aandoening alsnog in de vaccinatievergeetput geduwd?

Achtergrond

Op 28 december 2020 hebben wij onze persoonlijke bezorgdheid omtrent de vaccinatie van jongeren met een chronische aandoening online kenbaar gemaakt en via mail verstuurd aan Alexander De Croo, Frank Vandenbroucke, Erika Vlieghe, Steven Van Gucht, Marc Van Ranst, Pierre Van Damme, Herman Goossens en Hans-Willem Snoeck.

Vandaag, 13 mei 2021, zagen we ons verplicht onderstaand bericht te sturen, in opvolging van ons eerder bericht en op basis van een aantal verontrustende vaststellingen. Daarbij voegden we Jan De Maeseneer aan de communicatie toe.

Bericht

“Meer dan vier maanden zijn intussen verstreken nadat we u onze individuele, oprechte ongerustheid overmaakten met betrekking tot de vaccinatie van jongeren met een chronische aandoening.

Professor Snoeck antwoordde onmiddellijk. De professoren Vlieghe (empathisch) en Van Damme (eerder afstandelijk) deden dat na een kleine herinnering van onzentwege een week later. De overige aangeschreven betrokkenen hielden zich stil. Vanuit de politiek kregen we twee weken later (!) een onpersoonlijk, geautomatiseerd antwoord via mail. Wij ontvingen op onze beide mails zelfs woordelijk hetzelfde antwoord (en inderdaad, telkens twee weken later). Een inhoudelijk antwoord kwam nooit. En dan hadden we alleen mensen aangeschreven waarvan wij meenden dat ze onderdeel zijn van de oplossing (en niet van het probleem). Dokter De Maeseneer heb ik nu aan de communicatie toegevoegd, omdat professor Van Damme aangaf ons bericht naar hem te hebben geforward.

[Update voor de aandachtige lezer: het onpersoonlijke, geautomatiseerde antwoord van een van beide politieke kabinetten komt nu onmiddellijk in plaats van twee weken later. Dat heet vooruitgang, niet?]

Onze case zit allicht ver weg in uw geheugen, maar wat wij vreesden, is bewaarheid geworden: jongeren met een chronische aandoening zijn alsnog in de vaccinatievergeetput geduwd.

Sta me toe dit te kaderen.

Ik ben zelf 51 jaar en heb geen risicoprofiel. Maar ik kreeg al wel een eerste prik (want weigeren of doorgeven bleken geen opties). Ik verneem vandaag in de pers (naar aanleiding van de vaccinatie van Tom Waes, zie oa. De Morgen) dat dat om privacy-redenen is. En het lijkt erop dat dit in alle ernst wordt gezegd.

Ondertussen heeft onze bloedeigen zoon (19 jaar), die WEL een risicopersoon is door zijn progressieve spieraandoening (en ook als dusdanig erkend is en op de befaamde lijst met risicopersonen staat via het ziekenfonds en de huisarts), zelfs nog geen uitnodiging gekregen. Laat staan dat hij uitzicht heeft op volledige vaccinatie. En als ik in de belangenverenigingen van deze personen mijn oor te luisteren leg, is hij bepaald niet de enige.

Tot onze verbazing kreeg onze tweede zoon (17 jaar), die ook op de risicolijst staat als persoon met Down, onlangs wel zijn eerste vaccinatie. Toen wij op zoek gingen naar de reden waarom de jongere zoon zijn vaccin wel kreeg en onze (oudere) zoon (met een erger risico) nog niet, bleek dat talloze anderen in de leeftijdscategorie 16-18 jaar plots voorrang hadden gekregen via hun behandelende ziekenhuizen. Dat traject (via zijn behandelend ziekenhuis) bleek dan weer niet te kunnen voor onze oudste zoon (wegens: 19 jaar). Hij moet via het vaccinatiecentrum en dus lijdzaam wachten op zijn uitnodiging. Kafka, iemand?

En het lijkt er sterk op dat het niet de laatste groep is waarvoor de vaccinatievolgorde en -prioriteiten stilzwijgend veranderd worden.

Ondertussen zien we versoepeling na versoepeling aangekondigd, maar houden wij ons gezin na 14 maanden nog steeds zo geïsoleerd mogelijk en in een quasi-lockdown. Eigenlijk hebben wij sinds vrijdag 13 maart 2020 niet veel meer dan essentiële verplaatsingen gedaan. En volgt onze zoon zijn cursussen aan de universiteit via de computer, ook diegene die hij in principe op de campus zou kunnen volgen.

En dan lezen we dat de vaccinatiecampagne goed volgens de prioriteiten verloopt. Zoals ze al een tijdlang zeggen dat de campagne nu echt wel op kruissnelheid komt. Hoeveel opeenvolgende weken kan je dat zeggen zonder te moeten toegeven dat het x weken eerder dus eigenlijk een leugen was?

Begrijpe wie begrijpen kan. Marketing en mooie praatjes zijn het in onze ogen, ja.

Beleid is beleid, en dat is aan politici. Dat verzekeren de betrokken wetenschappers ons keer op keer. Waar blijft dan de oprechte en eerlijke informatie van wetenschappers, zeker als ze ook artsen zijn, wars van wat de politiek met hun adviezen doet? Wat betekent dit op vlak van individuele, menselijke èn professionele integriteit?

Warme (maar ook wat cynische) groet
Gunther Verheyen en familie”

Ons origineel bericht vind je terug als “Zijn jongeren met een chronische aandoening een vergeten doelgroep in de vaccinatiestrategie?“.

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Zijn jongeren met een chronische aandoening een vergeten doelgroep in de vaccinatiestrategie?

“Beste beleidsmakers, wetenschappers, politici, experts, professoren, adviseurs (en iedereen die het verder aanbelangt)

Vrijdag 13 maart 2020 is een dag die wij niet snel zullen vergeten. Die dag, vijf dagen voor de eerste lockdown officieel inging, beslisten wij om ons gezin in een toestand van zelfisolatie te brengen. Vandaag, met het einde van 2020 in zicht, zijn we negen maanden, enkele golven, heel wat jojo-bewegingen en enkele zachte, harde of andersoortige lockdowns verder. Maar wij bevinden ons met ons gezin nog steeds in die toestand van zelfisolatie.

De reden is eenvoudig. Onze oudste zoon (hij was 18 jaar op vrijdag 13 maart 2020) heeft een progressieve spieraandoening gekend als “Duchenne” (ook wel: DMD, zijnde “Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy”). Dit heeft niet enkel een impact op zijn mobiliteit en motorische vermogens (hij is volledig rolstoelafhankelijk) maar het zorgt ook voor een verminderde long- en hartfunctie. Dus, ondanks zijn jeugdige leeftijd (intussen is hij alweer 19 geworden), behoort hij naar onze mening tot een extreme risicogroep voor het Sars-Cov-2 virus dat Covid-19 veroorzaakt. Wij durven er niet aan denken wat er gebeurt als hij Covid-19 zou oplopen, in het ziekenhuis zou belanden, voortdurend op zijn rug moet liggen of aan de beademing moet. Levensbedreigend, dat is zeker. Eerlijk is eerlijk, wij lopen dat risico liever niet.

Op donderdag 12 maart eindigde de 100-daagse week van onze zoon. Want ondanks zijn aandoening werkte hij de gewone humaniora af. Geloof ons, dat is veel minder evident dan het lijkt (inclusie is nog al te vaak niet meer dan een illusie in onze samenleving, maar laat ons het daar met uw permissie nu even niet over hebben). Niet veel later werden alle schooluitstappen alsook zijn eindejaarsreis afgeblazen. En de schoolpoort ging op slot. Eerlijk is eerlijk, wij waren daar als ouders bepaald niet rouwig om.

Sinds vrijdag 13 maart 2020 hebben wij geen verjaardags- of andere feestjes georganiseerd of bezocht. Wij hebben geen vrienden of familie ontvangen. Wij zijn niet op gezinsvakantie geweest, in het buitenland noch in het binnenland. In de zomerperiode zijn we een zeldzame keer op restaurant geweest en hebben we een zeldzame keer een bezoek gebracht aan goede vrienden. In beide gevallen zaten we buiten en met de nodige afstand.

Eigenlijk hebben wij sinds vrijdag 13 maart 2020 niet veel meer dan essentiële verplaatsingen gedaan. Geen fun- of andere vormen van shoppen voor ons. Het mag u niet verbazen dat wij ook alle versoepelingen aan ons voorbij hebben laten gaan, in de hoop zoveel mogelijk aan de daaraan gepaarde, opwaartse bewegingen van het virus te ontsnappen. De nieuwe federale regering lijkt meer standvastig en weet schijnbaar de inzichten van de wetenschap meer te waarderen. Eerlijk is eerlijk, wij zijn daar als ouders bepaald niet rouwig om.

Toegegeven, alhoewel wij over een tuin beschikken zijn onze kinderen wel op zomerkamp geweest. Dat was geen eenvoudige beslissing en daarbij namen we veel aspecten in overweging. U mag gerust weten dat onze andere zoon (17 jaar) het syndroom van Down heeft. We moeten er geen geheim van maken dat de belasting op ons als dubbele mantelzorgers zonder netwerk een rol speelde in onze beslissing. Gezien de beperkingen van onze zonen ging het echter om aangepaste kampen met een zeer beperkt aantal deelnemers die super-beveiligd waren opgezet. Oh ja, misschien ter volledigheid, onze dochter (10 jaar) heeft geen officiële beperking. En daarmee kent u onze gezinssituatie zo’n beetje (behalve de kat en de hond).

Onze oudste zoon heeft in september universitaire studies aangevat. Tegen de gangbare, ideologische hardnekkigheid in besliste het universiteitsbestuur om in code rood te gaan en afstandsonderwijs in te voeren. Eerlijk is eerlijk, wij waren daar als ouders bepaald niet rouwig om. Zoals we daarom alleen al blij waren dat hij niet meer in het middelbare onderwijs zit. Dat onze zoon om die reden ook minder het openbaar vervoer moet nemen met zijn elektrische rolwagen is in zekere zin een meevaller (alhoewel, het is bizar dat een ‘meevaller’ te moeten noemen, maar laat ons ook de ontoegankelijkheid van het openbaar vervoer niet hier aankaarten).

Natuurlijk, de scholen van onze beide andere kinderen zijn wel hervat. In het geval van onze zoon met Down betekent dat elke dag de schoolbus nemen (ook over het onwezenlijk slecht geregelde busvervoer tijdens dit Corona-tijdperk moeten we het misschien op een ander moment nog eens hebben). Want, zo is verordonneerd, het BUSO (“Buitengewoon Secundair Onderwijs”) moet en zal open blijven en zal geen afstandsonderwijs inrichten, gevaarlijke leeftijd of niet (zoals gezegd, hij is 17 jaar). De herfstvakantie werd wel verlengd. Eerlijk is eerlijk, wij waren daar als ouders bepaald niet rouwig om.

Het heeft wel niet kunnen verhinderen dat wij een verwittiging van een positieve Corona-melding op school kregen tijdens de vakantie, nota bene al acht dagen ver in wat eigenlijk een quarantaine-periode had moeten zijn. En in de twee weken die volgden op de vakantie zijn we onze zoon drie keer van school moeten gaan halen wegens Corona-alarm. Daarbij is hij zelf ook twee maal getest (en gelukkig genoeg negatief bevonden). Kan u zich de stress voor ons gezin voorstellen? De stress dat we ongewenst het virus alsnog binnen hadden gehaald? Kan u zich voorstellen wat het betekent om hier een jonge kerel met een (in zijn geval ernstige) mentale beperking door te moeten halen, inbegrepen afstand houden van zijn broer en ouders/zorgverleners?

Wat we echter ook missen sinds die vermaledijde vrijdag 13 maart 2020 is enige beleidsaandacht voor jongeren, zoals onze zoon, met chronische aandoeningen (van welke aard ook). Er bestaan blijkbaar enkel of gezonde, jonge mensen of mensen van meer gevorderde leeftijd met ‘onderliggende aandoeningen’. Waar moeten wij onze zoon situeren, jeugdig maar toch met een onprettige, blijvende aandoening? Waarom krijgen hij en zijn lotgenoten wel voorrang voor een prik tegen de nochtans veel minder bedreigende seizoensgriep, maar niet om hen te beschermen tegen Covid-19?

U heeft er mogelijk geen idee van, maar weet u wat een onwaarschijnlijke geruststelling het zou zijn dat hij zo’n prikje krijgt? Zelfs maar te weten wanneer dat kan? Hoeveel druk dat zou wegnemen op ons gezin? En welke impact dat onrechtstreeks zou hebben op zijn studies en vooruitzichten?

Maar…ook bij de huidige, mediatieke start van de vaccinatiecampagne wordt over hen niet of nauwelijks gesproken. Het multi-disciplinaire team van het ziekenhuis dat onze zoon opvolgt, weet het ook niet (of en wanneer hun patiënten aan de beurt zijn). En luidruchtige verenigingen die hen vertegenwoordigen of voor hen kunnen lobbyen, op kabinetten of in de media, zijn er ook al niet. Er zijn gewoon heel veel individuele mensen met een chronische aandoening en hun naaste omgevingen die gelaten hun lot dragen en zich intussen braaf en stilzwijgend schikken naar de maatregelen.

En natuurlijk weten wij dat u veel oproepen krijgt, en dat veel mensen en groepen van mensen in de maatschappij aandacht vragen en verdienen. En natuurlijk weten we dat dit deze crisis grillig en onvoorspelbaar is.

Mogen we hierbij desalniettemin even ons hart luchten en de hoop uitspreken dat hier geen belangrijke risicogroep over het oog wordt gezien? Mogen wij op u een beroep doen om ervoor te zorgen dat jongeren met een chronische aandoening geen vergeten doelgroep worden in de vaccinatiestrategie?

Warme groet
Gunther”

(via mail ook verstuurd aan Alexander De Croo, Frank Vandenbroucke, Erika Vlieghe, Steven Van Gucht, Marc Van Ranst, Pierre Van Damme, Herman Goossens en Hans-Willem Snoeck)

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As if there was a plan

1997, age 17. A flash. A poem. My parents -as always- respond with disheartening cynicism. My language teacher responds by sharing a poem he wrote at my age. His tone was spleen and Weltschmerz, where mine was (his words) ‘contemporary cynicism’. Sign o’ the times? My teacher points out that writing takes hard work, not just flashes. I never truly realised that until in 2013, age 43, I created my book “Scrum – A Pocket Guide”. Who would have guessed that in 2017 my book would be available in 3 languages?

An earlier pivotal moment was professionally moving to the Netherlands by the end of 2010. It was the start of a fascinating time supporting many people and organisations in growing their agility through Scrum.

2012. Dots got connected. The sudden realization that it took time to become what I didn’t know I could be. As a happy outsider. To be happy as an outsider too. Good at searching, not at finding; at travelling, not at arriving. Those small contradictions of life, a force rather than a noose. Being a total introvert, a hermit; yet, travelling the world for people and their way of Scrum. A vocation. Some unspeakable need to… ?

That same outsider in me sees the changes in my professional sphere since abandoning my spot of perceived importance in 2016. It affects me to the extent that it affects interactions and collaboration. A sense of bemusement hits me every time I realize how people stopped caring, ceased sharing ideas. A sense of bemusement when individuals compete with no other aim than personal fame or fortune, denying even the mere possibility of any greater, shared good. Displaying a cynicism that rules not my world. Not my vocation. Scrum gave me much. I will keep sharing back.

I observe the effects of the growth, even dominance, of Scrum. Scrum became a commercial model for money making purposes. Or Scrum is just a job, a career. Or the much hoped-for doorway to that personal fame or fortune. The use of Scrum to create better products while humanising the workplace, with people at the heart of it all, is a vocation that not many share.

If cynicism ruled my world, I should have started my own elaborate licensing scheme by now. Go down the worn-out path that many tread, at best paved with good intentions, but blind for the toxic side-effects. I should have re-issued, re-packaged, re-evaluated existing ideas, concepts and theories, added an extra rule and a tacky badge. Run it past the magical, buzzword-combining hype-creator. Act like I am the King of the sea. And the land. And the air. Denying even the mere possibility of any greater, shared good. Just imagine.

New! Unique! Exclusive! Copyrighted! Trademarked! Licensed!

Rather… the pathfinder way. As in our personal lives. If cynicism ruled our world, the doors of serendipity would inevitably remain closed. We would not be open to explore and discover, but be fretting our days away. Now we find ourselves bothered with, but not jammed, over missed absences and unwanted presences. We ended stressing ourselves to death with 2 day jobs (and survived the loss of income). We bought a house we didn’t know we needed (although better reasons are imaginable why we bought it). We live the art of the possible life. Not all is regardless some less expected ways of life, some is because of it. Mind: easy it is not.

We live, bounce, struggle, fight, survive, suffer, prosper, thrive, enjoy, recover, stumble more. At times we look back. With amazement. We see the events and what connects them. The achievements once unimaginable. The signs marking beginnings and endings. Growing a beard. We see the choices we made. And we smile. It looks as if there was a plan. But we walk backwards. We reel the string laid in this labyrinth. We grow younger every year. We have much to figure out.

Anger can fuel you. Dissent can too. Don’t let it turn into an endstate, a dead-stop of cynicism as your final destination. Invoke fusion to happen, beyond right, beyond wrong. Open seas rise in front of you all the time. You can set sail. Or stay at home.

Warm regards
Gunther
A failing clown. No joker.

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Scouts Kapellen weigeren verlenging lidmaatschap vanwege rolstoel

(Open brief gericht aan eenieder die het zich aantrekt)

Onze oudste zoon heeft de ziekte van Duchenne. Duchenne is een progressieve spieraandoening. Het Riziv voegde Duchenne recent toe aan een lijst met 40 ernstige ziektes waarvoor medicatie en nieuwe behandelingen het dringendste nodig zijn.

Onze zoon doet het gezien zijn fysieke beperking relatief goed. Hij wordt binnenkort 15 jaar, en is slechts gedeeltelijk rolstoelafhankelijk.

Onze zoon is reeds 8 jaar overtuigd lid van de scoutsbeweging. Hij heeft er vele vrienden, ligt goed in de groep, wordt er goed opgevangen door zijn vrienden en neemt in de mate van het mogelijke deel aan geplande activiteiten. Zijn totem is niet toevallig “Graaggeziene Kauw”.

Vandaag, zaterdag 3 september, start het nieuwe jaar van zijn scoutsgroep.

Scouts Kapellen weigert jongere verder lidmaatschap vanwege handicapGisteren, vrijdag 2 september, kregen wij echter een mail van zijn groeps- en takleiding dat hij niet meer welkom is. Dit was een schok voor ons en onze zoon. Onze eerdere, herhaalde vragen rond contact voor het nieuwe scoutsjaar bleven onbeantwoord. Er vond geen gesprek plaats. Er is geen opgave van reden. Enkel de eenzijdige mededeling “dat wij het als leidingsploeg niet zien zitten om dit extra engagement aan te gaan.”

Onze zoon is er het hart van in. Hier wordt diep in zijn sociaal weefsel gesneden, en in dat van ons gezin. Hij krijgt een schuldgevoel aangemeten voor zijn beperking, het label dat hij enkel een last is. Hij wordt vanwege zijn beperking richting isolatie geduwd. Vanwege een spierziekte waar hij ook niet voor gekozen heeft.

Wij hebben het raden naar het waarom. Zijn fysieke toestand is niet gewijzigd. Wij vragen niet dat hij aan alle activiteiten kan meedoen. Buiten één enkel misverstand zijn er in al die jaren geen problemen geweest. Er is nooit extra werk geweest. Er zijn geen bijzondere aanpassingen gevraagd. Wij hebben het raden naar het waarom. Wij hebben het raden naar de definitie van dat ‘extra engagement’ dat plots niet meer haalbaar is. Met de rolstoel rijden? Want naar te fysieke vergaderingen gaat hij niet. Op kamp mocht hij het laatste jaar ook niet.

Een slapeloze nacht verder. Vandaag begint het nieuwe scoutsjaar. De muur van stilzwijgen dwingt ons om het publieke forum op te zoeken, om daden te vragen en geen mooie websiteverklaringen van de betrokken scoutsgroep van Kapellen (“leren delen”, “verdraagzaamheid”, “niemand uitgesloten”), van het overkoepelende Verbond van Scouts en Gidsen Vlaanderen en van de jeugddienst van de gemeente Kapellen. Bij het Verbond bvb. vinden we geen duidelijke visie terug rond inclusie van kinderen met een fysieke beperking. Jammer, want met de Akaba-werking hebben zij een fantastische opzet voor kinderen met een mentale beperking. Onze tweede zoon, die het syndroom van Down heeft, is al verscheidene jaren enthousiast lid. Maar inclusie van kinderen met een fysieke beperking?

En hoe staat u tegenover deze discriminatie en uitsluiting? Voel je het verdriet, de ontgoocheling van onze zoon? Deel je onze verontwaardiging? DEEL DAN DIT BERICHT.

Laat weten dat mensen met een beperking rechten hebben, dat discriminatie van mindervaliden niet in onze wereld past, niet in de 21e eeuw, niet in de jeugdbeweging, nergens. Laat weten dat het door België in 2009 geratificeerde “Verdrag inzake de rechten van personen met een handicap” van de Verenigde Naties (2006) geen dode letter mag blijven.

Scoutsgroet
Gunther & Natascha