The mission of APAID is to enhance the quality of life of people with physical and intellectual disabilities in developing countries by using adapted physical activity (APA) to:

• encourage empowerment of people with disabilities
• raise awareness about their abilities rather than disabilities
• promote their rights as stated in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006).
   

Motive

People with disabilities are the world’s largest minority including around 650 million persons. According to the United Nations, 80% of them are living in developing countries, where they are often neglected, abandoned or abused. Many people with disabilities are denied reasonable access to physical activities because of a lack of arrangements for them.

This is alarming since persons with disabilities experience many benefits from participating in physical activities. Regular activities, sports participation, and active recreation are essential behaviours for the prevention of disease, promotion of health, and maintenance of functional independence. Moreover, these behaviours can lead to empowerment of the individual, increase of self-confidence and self-esteem, promotion of peer interaction, social relationships and teamwork and even an improvement in the quality of life. Therefore, adapted physical activities are nowadays a recognized mean to optimize the quality of life of persons with disabilities, their families and their communities.