This Tuesday morning, two separate but complementary initiatives took place in Alès, highlighting the central role of sport in professional integration and the inclusion of people with disabilities. Between the Stade Raphaël Pujazon and the Stade Nelson Mandela, two events brought together athletes, integration professionals, and families around common values: health, well-being, and access to employment.
From 9:30 am, the Stade Raphaël Pujazon hosted a morning dedicated to integration through sports, entitled “Sport and Health: Keys to Integration.” Organized by the Gard Department, the Employment and Solidarity Work Directorate, and the Workshops and Integration Sites (ACI), this day brought together 168 participants, including 141 integration workers and 27 facilitators.
The objective is to offer a fun and sporting approach to re-engage audiences often distant from employment, relying on the values of sport: self-esteem, well-being, and dynamism. Magali Matton, head of the insertion department at the Department, emphasized: “People accompanied in integration often struggle to get up in the morning. Today, sports are a means to get them moving again, to make them more receptive to employment support. It is an essential step to regain a work routine and motivation.”
The program included a variety of workshops for participants to discover or rediscover adapted physical activities: – Team sports (rugby, football, tchoukball, disc golf) – Individual sports (table tennis, athletics, vortex) – Adapted sports (Boccia, Cécifoot) – Health workshops (health assessments by CPAM)
The participants engaged in activities such as Fit Foot, which combines fitness through football. Carole Perrin, head of the sports and youth department at the Department, emphasized the inclusive aspect of the event, stating: “We also have workshops dedicated to disability sports, such as Boccia or Cécifoot, to show that sports can adapt to everyone, even those with disabilities. The idea is to create desire, to give participants the desire to continue a sporting activity or join a club.”
Among the participants were 150 individuals from integration sites in Gard who joined the workshops. These employees, under integration contracts, work in various fields such as dry stone, ironing, culture, or the environment. The event also facilitated collaboration among local stakeholders: sports associations, departmental services, and health professionals worked together to provide a comprehensive day, both sporting and informative. “Many participants appreciated this morning, some even expressed the desire to introduce their child to sports or practice as a family,” mentioned Magali Matton.
These two events, while distinct, share a common goal: to use sports as a tool for inclusion and public health. Whether to re-engage adults in integration or raise awareness about invisible disabilities, sports prove to be a powerful tool to break down barriers and create connections.
“The sport is much more than physical activity. It is a gateway to autonomy, self-confidence, and social integration,” concluded Carole Perrin.
