Activities teach festival attendees the limits and capabilities of people with special needs.
With a wide variety of activities, attendees under Festival Sziget in Budapest have been able to discover this year what it’s like to live with special needs. XS Land has been one of the most unique spaces of the festival, in which several NGOs participated.
“I like this experience, it’s fun to try something different, but it also makes you realize that, Without my hands, it is very difficult to do something that would otherwise be very easy and what you don’t think about in everyday life,” said a German girl who participated in the big event, which took place between August 7 and 12.
In addition to providing entertainment, participating NGOs also aim change the stigma around people with disabilities. “One of our main objectives is breaking the taboos in people’s mindsso that the next time they encounter a person with a disability, whether on the street, at work, at school or wherever, they look at them through a different lens,” says Panna Horváth, a volunteer with the Association of Recreational Sports for People with Visual Disabilities.
A different vision of sports
Games include individual activitiesgroup and couple sports. XS Land offers a different take on these popular sports and activities, with the idea that games bring people together while benefiting NGOs.
“I started as a grassroots volunteer because they announced at school that there was an opportunity. And the spirit of this place It motivated me a lot“said Ákos Sós, special needs teacher at the Don’t Give Up Foundation.
The most popular activities include two obstacle courses of the foundation. One is a wheelchair race and the other is a maze where participants must find the exit blindfolded.
“The truth is that at first I thought I was doing very well, but after going through the very small spaces, I felt completely lost. So for us it’s fun and it’s a good way to put ourselves in their placebut I can only imagine how difficult it is to do it every day,” said a Brazilian girl who participated in the festival.
In addition to learning, the place has another very important function. XS Land also welcomes people with special needs. For example, you can rent wheelchairs and visually impaired people can request a companion.
