Seventeen new SportHabile centers have expanded the regional network to over 60 facilities where people with disabilities can play sports. The plaques were presented on the morning of April 10 in the Pegaso Hall at Palazzo Strozzi Sacrati in Florence, at a ceremony attended by regional sports assessor Stefania Saccardi, president of the Italian Paralympic Committee for Tuscany Massimo Porciani, and vice president of CONI Tuscany Giancarlo Gosti. Guest of honor was Jacopo Luchini, a parasnowboard champion and the only Tuscan athlete to compete at the recent Paralympics in South Korea, where he finished fourth in two events.
The recognition of 17 new centers promoting Paralympic sport represents the latest milestone in SportHabile's nearly decade-long history. The project began in 2010 following a proposal from CIP Tuscany, working with CONI and supported by FAND and FISH, to create a network of facilities welcoming disabled athletes.
"This is an extraordinarily important achievement — said assessor Saccardi — in large part thanks to CIP and the project "A Wing-Beat for Sport". Sport is a crucial part of therapy and support for people with disabilities. Tuscany is a region where such matters receive serious attention. The marriage of sport and disability speaks to our civilization's values. Our founding principle is simple: give everyone the chance to play."
"I bring greetings from President Salvatore Sanzo — Giancarlo Gosti said — We are truly proud to support this project, which opens sport to so many people."
"This project began in 2010 — Massimo Porciani recalled — and has grown steadily ever since, reaching today's 61 centers. We operate 18 information offices across Tuscany, explaining what the Paralympic movement offers. Before we certify a center as SportHabile, our technicians visit to verify that it is truly accessible and welcoming to disabled athletes."
Jacopo Luchini shared his experience as a Paralympic athlete: "Being here is an honor, as was representing Tuscany at the Paralympics in South Korea—I was the first Tuscan to do so. Sport means everything to me: life, joy, sacrifice, pain, passion. Families often keep disabled children under a glass dome. I want to urge families and sports centers not to limit these young people. Whether they become elite athletes doesn't matter. What matters is that they try. My family understood this early on and always encouraged me. That changed my life and brought me where I am today."
Following the relaunch of SportHabile through the project 'A Wing-Beat for Paralympic Sport,' these 17 new centers have been approved. Currently, 50% of existing centers serve athletes with physical disabilities, one-fifth serve those with sensory disabilities, and the remaining 30% serve those with intellectual or relational disabilities. The range of sports is wide: equestrian, swimming, fencing, bocce, archery, track and field, baseball, futsal, foosball, canoeing, rowing, cycling, dance, hockey, judo, handball, volleyball, skiing, tennis, table tennis, torball, sailing, and basketball. Since SportHabile's launch, participation in Paralympic sports in Tuscany has climbed by more than 70%.
Alongside SportHabile, two parallel initiatives emerged: InformHabile information offices (now 15 sites across the region, offering details on opportunities in Tuscany's Paralympic movement) and FormHabile (specialized training courses for sports operators, federation coaches, and all professionals working in disability sports). SportHabile was among Italy's first projects of this kind. The idea of creating dedicated centers to introduce disabled people to Paralympic sport sparked interest not only among disability sports groups but also among federations and clubs that had previously not engaged with disability sports—more than 50% of the centers were founded on their initiative.
Full information about the project, centers, information offices, and training initiatives can be found at www.progettosporthabile.it, designed as an advanced search engine where prospective athletes can find the center best suited to their needs by filtering by province, disability type, or sport. Clicking on a center displays its registration details, photos, location, and the evaluation form completed by CIP and CONI technicians with all information leading to the final approval.
Source: Progetto SportHabile