On behalf of the Arkansas Global Changemakers initiative at the U of A and SameSport International, you're invited to the panel discussion "Sports as a Tool for Social Change" about the power of sports to promote inclusion and deliver comprehensive social impact. The discussion is associated with the official launch of SameSport.Arkansas, the first database of sports and activities for people with and without disabilities in the area.

The panel discussion will be at noon Friday, April 23.

The event will include a 15-minute presentation of SameSport.Arkansas followed by the panel discussion with speakers who are working with inclusive sports on local, national and international levels: 

• Sarah Hillyer, director, Center for Sport, Peace and Society at the University of Tennessee
• Abby Smith, community manager, Yunus Sports Hub
• Camie Powell, director of marketing and partnerships, Special Olympics Arkansas

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.

SameSport.Arkansas is a part of the international initiative SameSport, which 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 (samesport.org). The founder of the initiative, Olga Khokhryakova, is a second-year graduate student in Community Health Promotion at the U of A, and its co-founder is 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 U of A. 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.