HOSPITALITY – Holistic Sport Disciplines for People With Intellectual Disability

Project Name: HOSPITALITY – Holistic Sport Disciplines for People With Intellectual Disability

Summary: HOSPITALITY is an 18-month European initiative co-funded by Erasmus+ (Sport Small Partnerships), aimed at promoting inclusive physical activities for people with intellectual disabilities and personality disorders. The project unites gentle physical exercise with guided meditation to boost both physical and psychological wellbeing. By developing a transnational network and evaluating holistic fitness methodologies, HOSPITALITY strives to create a replicable model for inclusion, emotional awareness, and life skill development.

Main Objectives:

• Promote participation in unified physical activities combining soft gymnastics and guided meditation
• Support psychophysical wellbeing through innovative, tailored sport programmes
• Increase emotional awareness and self-esteem among intellectually disabled adults
• Empower educators, instructors, and organizations to adopt inclusive sport practices
• Disseminate results and good practices to stakeholders, NGOs, and public institutions

Target Groups:

• Adults with intellectual disabilities
• Adults with personality disorders
• Neurotypical individuals (families and friends) participating in integrated sessions
• Indirect beneficiaries: educators, sports operators, psychiatric centers, NGOs, and public health institutions

Innovative Aspects:

• Unified method combining gentle physical activities (yoga, pilates, stretching) with guided meditation
• A focus on psychological benefits: emotion regulation, social inclusion, stress reduction
• Development of measurable case studies to assess emotional, behavioral, and cognitive progress
• High transferability for replication in other European contexts

Key Activities:

• Design and pilot courses in each country with approximately 10 participants per group
• Weekly sessions mixing physical activity with meditation, adjusted for each partner’s style
• Conduct scientific studies and surveys to assess pre- and post-course outcomes
• Collect and publish good practices and country-specific reports on intellectual disability
• Dissemination through a multilingual manual, videos, and local outreach campaigns

Project Partners:

• ASD Meet Lab – Coordinator
• UISP Comitato Territoriale Ciriè Settimo Chivasso – Partner
• Rijeka Sport – Partner
• Scout Society – Partner
• Courage Foundation – Partner

Implementation Period:

• Start: January 2021
• Extended End: December 2022 (due to COVID-19 interruptions)
• Courses held in two 3-month periods with local variations based on restrictions

Funding & Support:

• Co-funded by Erasmus+ Sport Small Partnerships
• Local cooperation with psychiatric centers, educational institutions, and health networks

Legacy & Impact: HOSPITALITY proved that combining sport with mindfulness has measurable benefits: improved emotional recognition, increased sociability, and reduced tension among participants. The methodology empowered operators, created new bonds across abilities, and laid the groundwork for long-term, inclusive sport frameworks in Europe.