The INSPIRE Festival 2024, organized by IMH Business, is set to take over Makariou Avenue on the 3rd and 4th of October, bringing the spirit of entrepreneurship to the heart of the city. This vibrant two-day event is a homage to entrepreneurship in all its forms, magnitudes, and industries, aiming to inspire individuals of all ages and backgrounds to continue pursuing their dreams of success.
With Ablebook proudly supporting the festival as the Accessibility Partner, festival-goers can easily access all information about the festival’s accessibility features through the Ablebook App. The app ensures that everyone, regardless of their mobility or special needs, can fully participate in and enjoy the events.
INSPIRE 2024 lives up to its name by offering tens of parallel events designed to ignite creativity and perseverance. From captivating entrepreneurs’ stories, masterclasses, and thought-provoking panels to exciting live podcasts, fireside chats, and even street parties, there’s something for everyone, whether you’re 15 or 95. Attendees will immerse themselves in a truly unique atmosphere, filled with music, street food, and celebration, all aimed at fostering a sense of community and inspiration.
With multiple stages spread across a walkable distance, the festival promises a whirlwind of activity, offering a diverse range of interactive events for more than 3,000 attendees. Whether engaging in insightful interviews, participating in panel discussions, or enjoying a relaxed chat over cocktails, visitors will have endless opportunities to network, learn, and be inspired.
This year’s INSPIRE Festival is set to be the most dynamic event yet, showcasing the entrepreneurial spirit that drives Cyprus forward. Mark your calendars and join us for a weekend of innovation, creativity, and celebration of entrepreneurship!
For more information about festival accessibility, download the Ablebook App.
Karolina Pelendritou finished in second place in the 50-meter freestyle in Paris.
Karolina Pelendritou won the seventh Paralympic medal of her career on Saturday night (31/8).
The flag bearer of the Cypriot delegation at the “Paris 2024” Paralympic Games finished in second place in the final of the 50m freestyle, in the S11 category, earning her second silver medal in the event.
The three-time Paralympic gold medalist of Cyprus, Karolina Pelendritou, and flag bearer of the Cypriot National Paralympic Committee’s delegation at the 17th Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, kicks off the competition today for the Cypriot team in this Paralympics.
The top swimmer in Cyprus’s Paralympic history competes today at noon at the Paris La Défense Arena in the 50m freestyle heats in the S11 category. Sixteen athletes are participating in this event, divided into two heats of eight. Karolina Pelendritou is competing in the 2nd heat. The race is scheduled to start at 11:46 local time (12:46 Cyprus time). The athletes with the eight fastest times will advance to the final.
Karolina’s goal is to record one of the eight best times to qualify for the final, which will take place later the same day (20:41 local time, 21:41 Cyprus time), with the hope of reaching the podium for the second consecutive time.
Karolina’s coaches are Stelios Kakavoyiannis and Ioannis Alexakis.
Karolina Pelendritou will return to the Paris La Défense Arena on September 5th to compete in the 100m breaststroke. The heats will be held in the morning, and the final will take place in the afternoon of the same day. Eleven athletes are participating in this event, and the top eight times will advance to the final.
Karolina will compete in the 1st heat, and the race will start at 10:19 local time (11:19 Paris time). The final is scheduled for 18:24 local time (19:24 Cyprus time).
This is Karolina Pelendritou’s 6th participation in the Paralympic Games, and she has won as many medals.
Details of Karolina’s medals in the Paralympic Games:
Her journey began at the Paralympic Games in Athens in 2004. In the country that gave birth to the Olympic Games, Karolina won the gold medal in the 100m breaststroke, and the national anthem of Cyprus was heard for the first time at the Paralympics.
In Beijing 2008, Karolina proved that her success four years earlier was no fluke. In addition to gold in the 100m breaststroke, she also won bronze in the 200m.
In London 2012, Karolina continued her success, winning another medal for Cyprus, this time a silver in the 100m breaststroke.
At the Paralympic Games in Rio 2016, Karolina came close to winning another medal, but finished 4th. However, this motivated her even more, and at the Tokyo 2021 (2020) Paralympics, Karolina once again elevated Cyprus to the top step of the podium. The national anthem was heard again in distant Japan, filling all of Cyprus with pride. Bronze in the 50m freestyle and gold in the 100m breaststroke brought her total Paralympic medal count to six (3 golds, 1 silver, and 2 bronzes).
The world record and the Paralympic record in the 50m freestyle have been held by Ma Jia from China since August 29, 2021, at the Tokyo Paralympics, with a time of 29.20.
The world record in the 100m breaststroke has been held by Lukianenko Daria from Russia since April 23, 2024, in Funchal, Portugal, with a time of 1:17.65, while the Paralympic record has been held by Karolina Pelendritou since September 1, 2021, in Tokyo, with a time of 1:19.78.
At the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Maria Markou, a Paralympic champion in bench press weightlifting, will participate.
According to a post by the Cyprus Sports Organization (CSO) on Facebook, “Our Paralympic champion in bench press weightlifting has secured her ticket through the World Rankings and will compete again in the world’s premier sporting event.”
It is added that Maria Markou will be the third member of the Cypriot delegation, after Karolina Pelendritou and Victor Pentara, to participate in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Several studies with this type of therapy are already underway or being planned worldwide.
An eleven-year-old boy who was born deaf can now hear thanks to a special gene therapy, according to American reports.
The boy from Morocco was the first person in the USA to receive gene therapy, which is still in the experimental stage, at a children’s hospital in the metropolis of Philadelphia on the East Coast, reported the New York Times, citing the hospital and the involved companies.
However, the therapy does not mean that the boy can now understand language and speak on his own: he may never be able to do so, the report said. According to the report, the brain has a window for language learning that starts from the second or third year of life. After the age of five, it closes forever.
According to the report, the eleven-year-old has a very rare genetic defect that affects about 200,000 people worldwide. A single mutated gene causes the deafness, which is replaced by an intact version during the therapy.
After completing several months of therapy, the eleven-year-old now has almost normal hearing, according to the New York Times.
Even if he cannot speak or understand speech, it could at least be useful for recognizing traffic or similar situations where he needs to pay attention to sounds. He can now also listen to music.
Several studies with this type of therapy are underway or planned worldwide, the report continues.
After the success with the eleven-year-old, scientists want to use the therapy on younger children. The inner ear is a small, enclosed space, so the gene therapy applied there does not affect cells in other parts of the body, Manny Simons, CEO of the involved company Akouos, told the New York Times.
According to the report, finding a suitable candidate was not easy for a specific reason: most babies born with this form of deafness receive cochlear implants in infancy to be able to hear and are then no longer eligible for such therapy trials.
The boy in question was not in a school in Morocco and learned sign language only in a special school in Barcelona after moving to Spain, according to the New York Times.
Ablebook is launching a new collaboration with Ocean Basket restaurants, incorporating their 9 restaurants into its platform. This partnership aims to provide all relevant information and services concerning accessibility for people with disabilities and vulnerable groups.
Ablebook isaninnovativeappavailable on Android and iOSdevices, targeting the improvement of accessibility and support for individualswithdisabilities and othervulnerablegroupsbyofferinginformation and servicesthatfacilitatetheirdailylives.
Ocean Basket restaurants provide ramps at their entrances, accessible toilets for people with disabilities, and vegan options. Through our collaboration, app users visiting Ocean Basket can get information about the accessible restaurants and request assistance if needed by contacting the responsible persons at the restaurant. This way, everyone can enjoy their meals and moments without barriers.
Our partnership with Ocean Basket restaurants is another step towards a more equal and open society for all. By offering facilities and services that meet the needs of people with disabilities, Ocean Basket positively contributes to social progress and solidarity.
Faced with a tragic incident, the Ophthalmology Clinic of the Archbishop Makarios III Hospital stepped in when a case was examined where a child was diagnosed with significant and permanent loss of vision in one eye due to extensive burns, during play.
According to an announcement by the Ophthalmological Society of Cyprus, the said accident was caused by laser pointers purchased online. Children using them ended up directly staring into the lens, causing multiple burns to the retina, the layer at the back of the eye that contains light-sensitive cells, enabling us to see.
In this context, the Ophthalmological Society of Cyprus calls on everyone, especially parents, to control both the suitability and the use of the products their children have in their possession. Specifically, for laser toys, we should never look at them directly in the eyes, aim them at other people, mirrors, or other reflective surfaces. These guidelines, as emphasized by the organization, apply to all laser toys.
Additionally, as stated by the Organization, the public must be particularly cautious because in case of injury, there is not much room for repairing the damage, as the laser beam remains strong even if it is several meters away from its source.
In case anything similar related to children’s eyes and vision is detected, please contact the Accident and Emergency Department of the OKYPY at 112 immediately, or contact the Ophthalmology Clinic of the Archbishop Makarios III Hospital at 22603550.
The report highlights accessibility issues raised by the Cyprus Paraplegics Organization (O.P.A.K.) concerning the new stadium in Limassol, as well as other football stadiums.
In a series of recommendations aimed at reversing the situation prevailing in football stadiums regarding the accessibility of people with disabilities, a special report by the Office of the Commissioner for Administration and the Protection of Human Rights, Maria Stylianou-Lottides, is issued. The goal, emphasized, is to take specific measures so that people with disabilities can enjoy sports events equally and without any discrimination, including football matches at all football stadiums.
According to the Commissioner, there should be:
· Parking spaces for people with disabilities, available at all times, near the stadium entrance, and measures taken to prevent them from being occupied by unauthorized individuals.
· Sufficient and continuous access chain from the parking area to the stadium gates, where there should be appropriately configured ticket booths and service points at a lower height for people with disabilities using wheelchairs, as well as separate accessible non-revolving entrance gates to the stadium.
· Unobstructed and obstacle-free movement for people with disabilities to their seats within the stadium, as well as along the aisles and to/from the refreshment areas and restroom facilities of the stadium.
· Specially designed seating areas for people with disabilities that ensure an equivalent view of the playing field to that enjoyed by other attendees in the stadium. Based on standards of adequate visibility, the line of sight for people with disabilities, especially those who, due to the nature of their disability, remain seated throughout the match, should remain clear and unaffected by obstacles.
· In any case, these designated seats, as well as restroom facilities and refreshment areas, should be available in the stands not only of the home team but also of the visiting team, so that people with disabilities have the opportunity, like other fans attending the stadium, to choose their seat and watch the match alongside the supporters of their team. They should enjoy the same experience within the stadium without feeling excluded or restricted in any way.
“The specific areas, which are envisaged to provide protection from weather conditions, should be located both at the top of the stands and at the back of the boxes, as well as close to the playing field, at a higher level, however, to ensure an adequate field of vision. Furthermore, they should provide easy and adequate access to the restrooms and refreshment areas, as well as to the exit gates in case of emergency.”
· Ramps and specially designed elevators for wheelchair users to allow them access to the upper rows of the stands and other shared areas.
· In existing stadiums and where the installation of a suitable conventional elevator is difficult, vertical lifting platforms or stair lifts should be provided to ensure access for people with disabilities to all key areas of the stadium.
· An audio description service of the match for spectators with visual impairments or hearing impairments, which should not be limited to a predetermined area of the stadium, but should provide a portable audio description system (via headphones) so that users of the service can choose where they want to sit to be close to their relatives and friends and among the fans of their team.
· In any case, the attendants of people with disabilities, besides being exempted from the ticket purchase obligation as highlighted by the relevant UN Committee, should have an available seat close to the person they are accompanying, to provide immediate and timely support or assistance that the person with a disability may need, especially in case of an emergency.
· Determination of a specific timetable with defined deadlines to identify and record all existing barriers to accessibility for people with disabilities in football stadiums and to develop a plan for implementing necessary improvements within a specified timeframe.
The Commissioner’s Office made recommendations to the Cyprus Sports Organization (CSO), the Cyprus Football Association (CFA), and the Stadium Licensing Authority to take necessary actions so that people with disabilities can enjoy equal access to sports facilities, especially to football stadiums hosting First Division matches, on an equal basis with others.
The report highlights accessibility issues raised by the Cyprus Paraplegic Organization (CPO) regarding the new Limassol stadium, as well as other football stadiums where First Division matches are held.
We are pleased to announce the collaboration between McDonald’s and the Ablebook app, incorporating their 23 restaurants into its platform. This partnership aims to facilitate access and provide information for people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
Ablebook is an innovative app available on Android and iOS devices that aims to improve accessibility and support people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups by offering information and services that make their daily lives easier.
McDonald’s restaurants offer a range of accessible facilities, such as designated parking spaces near entrances, ramps, accessible restrooms, and spacious areas for wheelchairs. Through this collaboration, Ablebook app users who visit McDonald’s restaurants can get information about accessible locations and request assistance if needed from the relevant staff. This ensures that all customers can enjoy their meals and moments without obstacles.
Our collaboration with McDonald’s restaurants is another step towards a more equal and open society for everyone. By providing facilities and services that meet the needs of people with disabilities, McDonald’s positively contributes to social progress and solidarity.
The Cabinet proceeded today with the approval of the first National Strategy and Action Plan for Autism
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“The Cabinet progressed today with the approval of the first National Strategy and Action Plan for Autism, with Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Marilena Evangelou emphasizing that the implementation of the strategy will allow authorities to have a comprehensive approach and a real image of this disability, which presents increasing trends both internationally and in Cyprus.”
“In statements following the Cabinet meeting, Ms. Evangelou said that action for the implementation of the Strategy is beginning, with one of the first actions involving the creation of a national electronic platform for autism, as well as information programs, training, upgrading, and expansion of the services provided.”
“The establishment of the national strategy and action plan for autism separately from other disabilities was deemed necessary due to the increase in autism diagnoses both in our country and internationally, and because autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder characterized by varying degrees of difficulty, with diverse levels and gradations of symptoms and challenges,” explained Ms. Evangelou.
According to Ms. Evangelou, the National Strategy and Action Plan for Autism 2024 – 2028 includes 53 actions under 7 thematic pillars, following the life course of a child, an adult with autism, namely research, early detection and diagnosis, health and therapeutic intervention, early childhood and family intervention, education, social protection and independent living, employment, and participation in leisure, culture, and society.
She further emphasized that the importance of the national strategy lies in its ability to centralize all services related to autism under the umbrella of the national strategy for better coordination of actions and holistic addressing of needs as well as challenges.
“The action now begins,” she continued, “for the implementation of the strategy and Action Plan. Our first priority is to continue the operation of the National Committee, which I will convene very soon, the establishment of permanent subcommittees under the coordination of the Department of Social Integration of Persons with Disabilities of the Ministry of Social Welfare, and the systematic cooperation of all stakeholders, especially the organizations representing individuals with autism themselves.”
As she said, the coordinating body of the National Strategy is the Ministry of Social Welfare, and other ministries participate in it, such as the Ministries of Labor, Health, Education, Transportation, and Finance.
“We want to have a complete picture in Cyprus.”
Asked about autism cases in Cyprus, Ms. Evaggelou stated that according to data from the World Health Organization, 1 in 100 children or adults worldwide are diagnosed with autism, while in Cyprus, the recorded data from the Department of Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities reports about 2,000 cases.
She noted, however, that “one of the reasons for the need for this national strategy is to capture the true picture of the situation in the country because clearly the Department of Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities of the Ministry has the data of individuals who apply to the Department for the benefits or services it provides.”
So, she said, one of the goals of the national strategy is to have a true picture of the number and not only in terms of numbers but also what is provided to these individuals in terms of services, how they live, what treatment they follow, how their integration and activation in society are.
Ms. Evaggelou further explained that there is a wide spectrum of autism with different symptoms, needs, and challenges. “Therefore, there may be individuals who do not feel that they need support or services. However, we need to know the real picture that exists,” she added.
“I personally believe that there are more (people with autism), how many more and why they have not turned to the Department of Social Integration with Disabilities remains to be proven along the way,” she added.
At this point, Ms. Evaggelou also mentioned that “we are not starting from scratch,” as there are programs targeting people with autism. She referred to the “Aktida” program for preschool-aged children with autism, which intervenes immediately after diagnosis, offering psycho-social and educational support both to the individuals with autism and to their families.
She cited as an example that through the national strategy, there will be continuous training based on all new scientific data for professionals such as doctors, pediatricians, educators, and kindergarten teachers in schools and wherever there are children for the early diagnosis of autism. “Because early diagnosis and intervention matter,” she emphasized.
Ms. Evaggelou stated that as part of the Strategy, the organization of a national conference on autism is also planned for this coming autumn, which will be established annually.
Source: CNA
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