European Congress of Adapted Physical Activity 2018

The 14th European Congress of Adapted Physical Activity (EUCAPA) was hosted by the University of Worcester, UK, at the behest of the European Federation of Adapted Physical Activity (EUFAPA) from the 3rd-5th July 2018. 

Over 180 delegates and presenters travelled to the historic city of Worcester (pronounced ‘Wooster’!) in the West Midlands of England, the first time that this prestigious APA conference had been held in the UK since its inception in 1986. As well as the expected strong representation from across Europe, delegates came from as far away as Australia, China, Japan and Korea, as well as North and South America. 

In a packed programme, 70 scientific papers and 18 interactive or practical workshops were presented, along with four important keynote speeches, three in-depth symposia and 33 poster presentations. There was still time for the EUFAPA General Assembly, an IFAPA Board meeting and the conference dinner! 

Each day of the conference focused on a different theme: 

Day 1 – Adapted physical activity & sport; 

Day 2 – Inclusive education 

Day 3 – Health & rehabilitation 

The rhythm of each day followed the same pattern; a keynote speech on the theme of the day, scientific paper presentations each morning followed by symposia and workshops in the afternoon. 

Highlights included four contrasting and thought-provoking keynote speeches. 

Dr Richard Bailey launched the conference by challenging the ‘traditional’ deficit and social values approaches to disability and sport by suggesting a ‘third way’ which considers strategies and interventions based upon individual needs. 

Kelda Wood is an adaptive rower and adventurer whose own experiences have led her to be passionate about supporting young people facing mental and physical trauma, both through the charity she set up called Climbing Out, and through her planned solo row of the Atlantic that will take place later this year. ‘Inspirational’ is a term often misused but is the only appropriate way of describing Kelda’s presentation. 

Bob Laventure is a ‘Renaissance man’ in the theory and application of physical activity across the lifespan. In a wide-ranging presentation, Bob drew on a lifetime’s experience in the field to discuss how assessment of physical activity has evolved over centuries and where current thinking can support the inclusion of specific populations. 

Professor Lu Yan, from Beijing Sports University, has welcomed colleagues working in APA from around the world to present in China. The Organising Committee were very pleased to welcome ‘Lucy’ to Worcester and enjoy her special presentation on the BSU programmes. 

An interactive workshop presented by Lauren Lieberman (Director, Camp Abilities/The College at Brockport) and Michelle Grenier (University of New Hampshire) on the Lieberman-Brian Inclusion Rating Scale for Physical Education (LIRSPE) was enthusiastically received by delegates who attended these sessions. 

Glyn Harding, Dave Mycock and Becs Foster from the institute of Sport and Exercise Science shared some of the methods and activities included in the unique longitudinal APA programme at the University of Worcester which provides opportunities for students throughout their programme of study and includes a specialist degree in disability sport coaching. 

And Doug Williamson, former Principal Lecturer in Sport and PE for Disabled People and ex-Visiting Fellow at Nottingham Trent University (UK) reviewed a lifetime of adapted games developments for young people who have severe and complex needs. 

The special symposia, held each afternoon, enabled delegates to participate in a comprehensive examination of three specific topics: 

• the Activity Alliance explored the ‘Talk to Me’ principles, insight and reflections from disabled people in the community which guides the work of the organisation – the umbrella organisation for inclusion, disability and sport in England; 
• the Youth Sport Trust, the leading youth sport agency in the UK, chose inclusive physical education as their theme and brought together practitioners from their education network to present examples of successful strategies and tools applied in their programmes; 
• the Association of Dementia Studies, based at the University of Worcester, presented a range of interventions around the theme of ‘Sport & Dementia’; this session included input from people living with dementia and their relationship with physical activity. 

Presentations throughout the conference were high in quality and this was reflected at the closing ceremony where exceptional presentations were recognised with EUFAPA awards. 

The Young Investigator Award for the outstanding presentation by an undergraduate or post-graduate student went to Victor Jeganathan, a post-graduate student at the Design School, Loughborough University, UK, for his excellent study on communication preferences in guide running for vision impaired athletes and their impact of the degree of VI on task performance. This linked to an exciting practical workshop on the running line device, an inclusive design project that supports young people with visual impairment to run independently. 

Maria Dinold, from the University of Vienna, Austria, was the well-deserved recipient of the European Professional Award for Outstanding Achievements, following a lifetime of commitment to research and practice in adapted physical activity, not only across Europe but worldwide. Her huge personal interest in dance and creative movement for all abilities and her work on an inclusive pedagogy are well known. 

Finally, the outstanding achievements on a national level – determined by the host organising committee – was awarded posthumously to Trevor Williams, formerly of Loughborough University. This was deemed particularly apt as this was not only the first time that EUCAPA had come to the UK but also in recognition of Trevor’s key role in creating a European-wide network of theory and practice that led directly to the emergence of EUFAPA and its biennial APA Congress. Trevor’s award was accepted on behalf of the family by Dr David Howe (Loughborough University). 

Pedro Ferreira, outgoing President of EUFAPA, summed the event up: 

“EUFAPA congratulates Ken Black and his colleagues from the University of Worcester for the commitment and enthusiasm that has enabled around 170 delegates from 30 countries to visit England for this biennial event.” 

On a personal note, the Organising Committee consistently went the extra mile to ensure that EUCAPA was both an enjoyable experience for delegates but also a successful event. Careful financial management meant that the entire conference was delivered based solely upon delegate fees – a remarkable achievement. Verity Rutherford was the fulcrum around which much of the logistical and financial arrangements revolved and her key role cannot be over-stated. 

The EUCAPA 2018 Team was supplemented by 15 volunteer students from relevant programmes of study. Events of this nature are so dependent on the involvement of the student body and this group of exceptional young people made an extraordinary contribution. Gill Renfree deserves an extra-special mention here for her hard work and commitment in coordinating the volunteer team. 

Looking to the future, short presentations were included during the conference to promote ISAPA 2019 – to be staged at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville (http://isapa2019.org/) – and the next EUCAPA which will be held in 2020 at the University Miguel Hernandez in Elche, Spain.