FFSA International Handikart Trophy receives first FIA EmPowering Disabled Motor Sport Award

This year, the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) introduced the FIA EmPowering Disabled Motor Sport Award, an initiative that aims to recognize and reward companies or individuals who are making motorsport more accessible to people with physical disabilities.

This new program is part of the #PurposeDriven movement launched by the FIA.

“I would like to warmly congratulate the FFSA International Handikart Trophy for winning the first FIA EmPowering Disabled Motor Sport Award. The FIA is strongly committed to recognizing and rewarding those who make motorsport more accessible. I hope that this new award and its first winner will act as a catalyst for awareness and progress in this direction,” said FIA President Jean Todt.

The application for the FIA EmPowering Disabled Motor Sport Award was open to companies and individuals from anywhere in the world that meets at least one of the following criteria: Organization or running of dedicated racing events for participants with disabilities; or significant support to facilitate them (equipment loan or grant, philanthropic actions, sponsorship, guidance, etc.), vehicle adaptations design or engineering; training, and pathway or guidance for people with disabilities to get involved with the sport.

The FIA chose the FFSA International Handikart Trophy as the winner of the first FIA EmPowering Disabled Motor Sport Award. The award was given last December 3 in celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disability.

The FFSA International Handikart Trophy was created in 2014 to facilitate the media coverage of handikart to the largest population and to encourage persons with disabilities to discover the sport.

The Award Committee also praised the quality of the many applications received. In addition to the winner, the other candidates have remarkable initiatives, in line with the strategy of the FIA Disability and Accessibility Commission, which intends to help them develop their project in the future.

“The FFSA and I are honored to receive this first FIA EmPowering Disabled Motor Sport Award. This award is a recognition of the work undertaken by the Federation towards developing a form of karting that is tailored for people with disabilities. The figurehead of this is the International Handikart Trophy, which has been held in France for four seasons now. I would like to give a special mention to our Handikart Working Group, headed by Alain Nicolle, whose dedication to the organization of this event has led to the Federation receiving this honor. I would also like to commend all the other dossiers that were submitted, for their investment in the deployment of sporting practices dedicated to people with disabilities, and to thank the FIA Award Committee for selecting our dossier. We must all continue together down this path, to ensure the longevity of handisport,” commented FFSA President Nicolas Deschaux.

Photo from FIA

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