OUR MISSION

The mission of the International Institute of SPORT (IIOS) is to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities in the less economically developed countries worldwide.

WHO WE ARE

We are a non-profit advocating for the disabled in areas of public access, education, integration, job skills, physical rehabilitation, therapeutic recreation and disaster relief. We are educators, artists, administrators and professionals. We are also networkers and are grateful for our partners.

WHAT WE DO

We engage children and adults in art projects geared to developing an understanding of disability.  We help rehabilitate and train disabled athletes for the Paralympics. We help disabled people become employees and business owners. We provide art supplies, medical supplies and mobility devices. We represent disabled artists in the world art market. We advocate for the disabled in business and government affairs to help secure access to jobs and transportation.

Mobility

Haitians Need Crutches
February 3, 2010

Lady with baby at home to nurse but cannot leave because of no crutches
On February 3, Dr. Fred Sorrells was at the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince.

He wrote, "Talked to a volunteer nurse from Louisana who told me this lady has a baby to nurse at home but cannot leave because of no crutches. The entire ward could be discharged if there were cruches. We need crutches and now!"




Crutch Distribution in Haiti
November 2009

During his November 2009 trip to Port-au-Prince and Jacmel, Haitii, Dr. Fred Sorrells, took a shipment of crutches for distribution among physically challenged people of Haiti.

American kids display painted crutches

Under our direction, American children collect and decorate one side of crutches to promote disability awareness and assist the millions of disabled in the emerging nations.

On right, children display crutches they painted for delivery to people with disabilities in Haiti. Texas children from Burnet, Marble Falls, Lorena, , Garland and Dallas have participated in crutch painting.

 

Haitian children decorate crutches

 

Once delivered to an emerging nation, local able-bodied children decorate the other side of the crutch and deliver them to the disabled in their society.

On left, local children in the the Haitian city of Jacmel decorated the crutches and then distributed them to physically challenged in the local disabled population.

Haitian children display painted crutches

On right, able-bodied Haitian children display colorfully painted crutches which are now ready to distribute to people with disabilities.

The World Health Organization estimates that 10-15% of the Hatian population is disabled.

Haitian boy gives new aluminum crutches to Haitian amputee

 

 

On left, a Haitian boy gives newly painted aluminum crutches to a Haitian amputee.

People with disabilities in Haiti are often scorned and viewed as cursed by God, but this young man's attitude towards people with disabilities has been changed.

Amputee joyfully walks the streets of Jacmel on a her pair of new crutches

 

On right, the amputee joyfully walks the streets of Jacmel on a her pair of new crutches - colorfully decorated by American and Haitian children and given by Haitian children.