ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s finest team of 38 people took part in the 10th International Abilympics competition of professional skills for people with disabilities in the French city of Metz on March 23-25, reported Kazakhstan’s Consulate General in Strasbourg’s press service.
Kazakhstan’s team represented educational institutions from nearly all regions of the country. It includes professionals from Kazakhstan in various fields, including information technology, technical professions, and culinary arts, as well as professional hairdressers, sewists, leather workers, artists, photographers, designers, and others.
Abilympics or Olympics of Abilities are vocational skills competitions specifically designed for persons with disabilities to enable them to expose their unique talents. Hosted in Japan in 1981 for the first time, the Abilympics have been held every four years at various international host nations since then.
Abilympics has contributed to changing traditional perceptions of the skills, potential, and abilities of people with disabilities, leading to their widespread employment.
President of the International Abilympics Federation Wajima Shinobu warmly greeted the Kazakh team and wished them success in demonstrating their skills. He also conveyed his warmest wishes to the leadership of Kazakhstan and highlighted the importance of developing a separate policy for the even greater integration of people with special needs into the economic system of Kazakhstan.
The ceremony of the Nauryz celebration organized by Kazakhstan’s Consulate General in Strasbourg, created a separate booth to present the country’s culture and traditions to foreign participants and treat them to Kazakh national dishes.
The participants, guests, and organizers of the Abilympics were drawn to the display of culture and customs, and they sent the delegation from Kazakhstan many heartfelt wishes.
Speaking to the Kazakh delegation, Consul General of Kazakhstan to Strasbourg Anuarbek Akhmetov emphasized the event’s significance for raising awareness of talented people with limitless prospects and a powerful spirit in Kazakhstan and around the world.