In accordance with Order No. V-430 of the Minister of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania of 22 March 2022, “On the Allocation of the 2022 Sports Support Fund for Sports Projects Implemented in 2022–2024 Promoting Sports Activities for People with Disabilities, Improving the Qualifications of People Working or Providing Services in the Field of Sport, and Disseminating Sports Information”, the Sports Support Fund awarded funding to project No. SRF-KT-2022-1-0109, “I Can’t See, but I Keep Moving! Accessible Sports Information for Blind People Motivates Everyone to Live Healthier”.
Project implementation period
8 August 2022 – 30 September 2024
Project funding source and value
The total eligible project costs amount to EUR 52,852.02, of which EUR 47,566.82 is financed by the Sports Support Fund.
Project objective
To ensure access to sports and wellbeing information for people with visual disabilities and, through the inspiring example of blind people, encourage the wider public to adopt a more active lifestyle.
The project responds to a need identified in a survey of Lithuanian Audiosensory Library (LAB) users to improve access to information on health, wellbeing and physical activity. The planned activities, designed to encourage the participation of people with visual disabilities, will contribute not only to better health but also to greater equality of opportunity.
Although nutrition accounts for around 70% of the impact of lifestyle on health, Lithuania has virtually no healthy eating publications adapted for people with visual disabilities, particularly information on diets recommended for people living with chronic conditions such as diabetes or hypertension.
A 2020 study by the Health Education and Disease Prevention Centre found that the diets of two thirds of Lithuania’s population were not considered healthy. Only 27% of adults chose food products based on their health benefits.
The project will adapt eight books on healthy nutrition for physically active people for readers with visual disabilities. It will also use the stories of participants in a wellbeing challenge to demonstrate the benefits of a more active lifestyle and, by presenting blind people as inspiring examples, encourage the wider public to adopt healthier and more active habits.
The planned series of adapted sports nutrition publications continues the work of a 2021 project, under which seven books on wellbeing and physical activity were made accessible to people with visual disabilities and practical sessions based on these programmes were organised.
Project activities
- Adapt eight publications on healthy nutrition for physically active people for readers with visual disabilities.
- Organise a series of events presenting physical activity and healthy nutrition programmes: 20 sports information events, with four events held in each of Lithuania’s five largest cities.
- Disseminate sports information, using inspiring examples of blind people to motivate the public to change lifestyle habits and increase awareness of the physical and information accessibility needs of people with visual disabilities.