April 23, 2021 / Arkansas Kick Off & Panel on Sports as a Tool for Social Change
SameSport.Arkansas is an inclusive two-sided community marketplace that makes it easier for people with disabilities to find accessible sports and activities in the area. A one-stop online database, samesport.org, hosts a curated user-friendly database with search filters (sports, inclusivity, level, age, disability, availability online), and description of each location with photos, price and schedule.
The presentation of SameSport.Arkansas is followed by the panel discussion with Speakers who are working with inclusive sports on local, national and international levels:
- Camie Powell, Director of Marketing and Partnerships, Special Olympics Arkansas
- Dr. Sarah Hillyer, Director, Center for Sport, Peace and Society at the University of Tennessee
- Abby Smith, Community Manager, Yunus Sports Hub
Moderators:
- Olga Khokhryakova, Founder of SameSport International, MS Candidate’21 in Community Health Promotion from the University of Arkansas
- Sunny Day, Manager of SameSport.Arkansas, International and Global Studies Student with French Minor at the University of Arkansas
SameSport-Arkansas is a part the international initiative SameSport, that aims to promote inclusive activities and connect diverse people in a collaborative community through the universal language of sports. Today SameSport operates in Moscow, Russia (samesport.ru) and Arkansas, the US (samesport.org). Founder of the initiative, Olga Khokhryakova, is a second-year graduate student in Community Health Promotion at the University of Arkansas, co-founder is a former Russian athlete Anastasia Samoylova, who has participated in sports for deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
The event is a part of the Fulbright Scholars Social Impact Series, which feature international conversations moderated by Fulbright Scholars and other international students and researchers at the University of Arkansas. The series is part of the Arkansas Global Changemakers Initiative, a collaboration between the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and the Walton College of Business.