On 25th September the ENGSO EWS Committee organised a webinar that discussed some of the many elements that help make events welcoming.

Sarah Townsend, EWS member and EGLSF representative, introduced the new ENGSO guidelines “HOSTING INCLUSIVE EVENTS - Accessibility Guidelines for ENGSO events” which were developed by EWS in consultation with many ENGSO members.

Discussions then focused on the implementation of the guidelines at the upcoming ENGSO European Sport Platform in Prishtina, Kosovo in November 2024, and with the guiding principle of ‘nothing about us without us’, what accessibility looks like for different profiles, and what makes events and spaces welcoming for everyone.

Georgios Kapellakis, Paralympian and President of the Hellenic Paralympic Committee talked to his recent experiences at the Paralympics Paris 2024 highlighting the positive psychological impact of feeling that others are thinking about how to make sure that you are included.

Conny-Hendrik Schälicke, Board Member of Seitenwechsel Sportverein für FrauenLesbenTrans*Inter und Mädchen e.V. and EGLSF member offered a wonderful presentation that both gave a glimpse of the history of the LGBTQI+ inclusion in sport through a German lens and what measures the club has taken to evolve into a successful club that puts inclusion at its core, and the challenges that Seitenwechsel faced, and still have to overcome in the path to inclusion. Change management is a process that requires work and resilience and cannot be done without those that you are initiating change for.

Andreja McQuarrie, member of the Commission for Gender Equality at Slovenian National Olympic Committee, vice president of the Commission for Women’s Football at the Slovenian National Football Association, Olympian in alpine skiing (Sarajevo 1984) expertly highlighted the barriers to women in leadership positions in sport, using concrete examples from the Slovenian sports world and her personal experiences in football.

Re-Watch the Webinar below