Physical activities such as athletics, workouts and martial arts are essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and is recommended for everyone. They are also great stress busters and form a common point of interest for socialization. Yet, persons with disabilities often find themselves excluded from, and even warned against participating in physical activities.
Children with disabilities are frequently left out from physical games that their peers indulge in. In fact, most adults, whether disabled or able-bodied, think of travel and physical activities as something that only stereotypically athletic-looking people do.
Thanks to NGOs such as Enable India, Planet Abled, Adventures without Barriers, etc, there is now an increase in the number of physical activities as well as travel destinations that are being made accessible for all, regardless of their disabilities. In a bid to make the great outdoors accessible, Decathlon is now offering a hiking trip for persons with disabilities.
The hiking trip, set to take place on March 3rd, is to Urumbikkara, located between Kottayam and Idukki.
Said to be a land of pristine hills, breathtaking waterfalls, green pastures, and rocky forests, Urumbikkara is certainly an ideal hiking destination. The trip commences from Kottayam at around 5:30 am. Having breakfast along the way, the team will proceed to the Urumbikkara hilltop, where a 1 to 2 km hike is planned. The team is also prepared to extend the hike, based on the wish and endurance of the participants involved. After a lunch on the hilltop, the team will proceed back by late evening. Potential participants are to note that the hiking trip is planned as a full day program, from 5:30 am to around 8 pm.
What is interesting is that this hike is offered by Decathlon in Kottayam, a mainstream sports store, and not by an NGO working for persons with disabilities. Moreover, it is the first time that Decathlon Kottayam is setting up such an event. The hike was primarily conceptualized by Decathlon employees Mathew C Alex and Christy Babu, along with other employees.
"It is my association with several NGOs which work for persons with disabilities that served as my motivation to do this," said Mathew C Alex. He also added that the number of enquiries they receive in a day are considerably lower for this trip, perhaps because the target group is much smaller. "Usually we receive around 50-60 enquiries per day when we send out information about a particular trip. This time we are receiving only 3-4 enquiries per day."
The employees involved are also looking for sponsors, hoping that this would encourage people from the lower economic backgrounds to participate as well. Since the hiking trip costs Rs. 2000, having sponsors would certainly be a god-send for those who wish to participate but find themselves unable to because of financial constraints.
This recognition by the mainstream world that the great outdoors is for everyone, regardless of abilities and disabilities, boards well for the disabled community.
Interested potential participants can book their trips by contacting Decathlon Kottayam at 9072806000/9562527473 or by visiting their website at http://smsd.in/0ZbDSmx4.
