Let’s be better: In Including People with Disabilities in Sport 4.12.2025

We are thrilled to invite you to our upcoming international seminar, hosted by the VIDE-project. The main focus of the seminar is on topics such as inclusion, accessibility and equity in sports.

Date: 4.12.2025

Time: 9.30-15.00 EET. (Breakfast and registration from 9.00-9.30).

Location: Cultural Centre Hanaholmen in Espoo, Finland and live streaming.

Language: English. Live captioning will also be available in English.

Fees: The seminar is free of charge and includes lunch and coffee for all participants.

Cancellation: If you need to cancel your participation, please do so in advance.
Cancellations made within 7 days of the seminar (i.e. after 27.11.2025) will incur a late cancellation fee of €15. Participants who do not cancel and do not attend will also be charged a €15 no-show fee.
This fee helps cover catering costs.

Accessibility: Hanasaari’s facilities are well suited for guests with different kinds of disabilities. More information below under the title ”accessibility”.

Intended audience: Decision-makers, sports coordinators at municipalities, coaches and active members of sports organizations. People working with inclusion in society and other interested in the topic are warmly welcome.

Organizer: VIDE -project in co-operation with the Cultural Centre Hanaholmen in Espoo.

Registration deadline: 16.11.2025

REGISTER HERE

The seminar will be held on Thursday, 4 December, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m at the Hanaholmen Cultural Centre in Espoo. The event will also be live streamed.

For those attending in person, breakfast will be served from 9:00 a.m. and lunch and coffee are included later in the day.
The program will be held in English, and participation is free of charge.

Here’s what you can expect:

• Engaging keynote presentations by para-athletes about personal experiences in sports
• Inspiring discussions on innovative work, inclusivity, and accessibility in sports
• Networking opportunities with professionals passionate about equity in sports

Save the date and stay tuned for more details!

We kindly welcome you to join!

The seminar is a continuation from the previous Let’s be better seminars in 2023 and 2024. Watch the recording from the 2023 seminar here.

PROGRAM

The program will be published in June.

You can also register by this link or by e-mailing lotta.nylund@idrott.fi or calling +358406606847.

About the VIDE project

The Vi vill också delta -project (VIDE) (eng. We also want to participate) is an innovation project. Its aim is to increase the physical activity of people with disabilities and/or illnesses and to enhance competence regarding inclusion, equal treatment, and accessibility both nationally and internationally through education. A special emphasis is put on Swedish-speaking sports clubs, associations, federations, and municipalities in Finland.

The project is funded by the ”Get Finland Moving” program as outlined in the government program, which aims to increase physical activity across all age groups (suomiliikkeelle.fi/en/get-finland-moving).
The project runs from August 2024 to December 2025.

Read more about the project here idrott.fi/vi-vill-ocksa-delta (in Swedish).

Accessibility

Most of Hanaholmen’s public facilities are well-suited to visitors with reduced mobility. The main entrance with a car ramp and automatic doors provides accessible entry. There is free access to all floors by lift, and the wide corridors make it easy to move around in public areas.

Our auditorium and conference halls are accessible and the thresholds to our smaller meeting rooms are low. The second floor of our auditorium is accessible by lift, and a ramp to the first floor is available by request for speakers. There is a hearing loop in the auditorium.

There is an accessible toilet on the first floor. Guide and service dogs are welcome to Hanaholmen!

To increase accessibility, the entire program will be live captioned in English.

We will publish a video regarding the venue’s accessibility during autumn 2025.

How to reach the venue?

We recommend arriving to the venue using more sustainable options such as carpooling, public transportation, or biking (although we acknowledge that biking in December may be challenging).

Public transportation

You can reach Hanaholmen by either metro or bus.

If you choose to take the metro, please disembark at the Koivusaari station. The distance from the Koivusaari station to Hanaholmen is approximately 1,1 km.

If you choose to travel by bus, please take bus line 105, 121/121A, 164/164K or 192/192T/192V. The nearest bus stop is located approximately 400m from Hanaholmen.

• Buses 121, 121A, 164 and 164K operate along the Western Highway, between Helsinki city centre (Kamppi) and western Espoo, every few minutes during rush hours on weekdays.
• Bus 192 (V and T busses) operates along the Western Highway between Inkoo and Kamppi (Helsinki city centre), a few times in the morning and afternoon on weekdays.
• Bus 105 works as a feeder bus between Hanaholmen and Lauttasaari metro station operating a few times an hour on weekdays.

For further details of public transport please check the Journey Planner.

By car

Hanaholmen is located right next to the main Länsiväylä road (“the Western Highway”, route 51), a little to the West of Koivusaari and to the East of Karhusaari and Tapiola in Espoo. Hanaholmen can be reached by car from a local junction on the Western Highway, midway between Lauttasaari and the Ring I / Tapiola intersection.

There are bus stops at the junction (the GPS co-ordinates are N60º10.0 E24º50.6).  There is also a signpost at the junction indicating ”Hanaholmen”. Hanaholmen is about 6 km to the West of Helsinki.

From the West: Approach Helsinki on the Western Highway (route 51) and follow the signpost at the Hanaholmen junction.

From the North (e.g. from the airport): Approach Helsinki and turn off at Ring I westbound. Follow the ring road to the Western Highway (route 51), and then drive towards Helsinki Centre. The signpost for Hanaholmen is about one kilometer after the Ring I, Western Highway intersection.

Parking

There are plenty of parking spaces on Hanaholmen, both outside the Main Entrance and further away. Parking is free and there are two charging stations for electric cars. There are two accessible parking spaces.

By taxi

The taxi journey from the city centre of Helsinki to Hanaholmen will take approximately 10 minutes; from the airport it takes approximately 40 minutes.

Please note that there is a risk of confusion, since there is a power station in East Helsinki called Hanaholmen, so be sure to ask the driver to take you to Hanaholmen Cultural Centre in Espoo.

Safeguarding

The seminar follows the principles of a safer space. Everyone shares responsibility for creating such an environment. The goal of these principles is to create an atmosphere where people can communicate effectively, participate safely, and be themselves without fear. The principles are as follows:

• Care and take care. Care about the people around you, how they feel and how your words and actions affect them. As a general rule, treat others as you would like to be treated. If you are pointed out about your behavior, do not trivialize it, but take it into account in the future. We all make mistakes sometimes and learn from them. Persons behaving inappropriately can be removed by the organizer. 

• Respect others. Respect the diversity of people: their different views, experiences, and backgrounds. Respect other people’s choices, identities, as well as their personal space and boundaries. 

• Think and anticipate. Don’t assume that everyone is comfortable with the same things as you. In short, don’t force anyone to do anything. 

Feel free to contact the event organizers if you need help or need support in problem situations.

Safety

• There are three emergency exits in the auditorium, and they are marked with green illuminated signs.
• In the event of a fire, you should evacuate the building and gather near the parking lot.
• The Hanaholmen reception desk is available to assist you at any time.

For more information