More than 100 children came to the DGI-Huset to participate in Para sport activities ©Vejle Municipality

Vejle Deputy Mayor Dan Arnløv Jørgensen hailed the importance of Denmark's national sports day as children visited the DGI Huset Sports Complex here to mark the occasion during the World Wheelchair Rugby Championship.

The national day is inscribed into Danish law, requiring all schools across the country to dedicate the day to children playing sport.

According to Danish School Sports, more than 469,000 children from 1,295 schools were due to participate in events.

Here, 160 children came to the venue where they participated in several Para sports, including wheelchair rugby and goalball, and had the chance to watch today's action.

According to Vejle Municipality sport consultant Morten Vestergaard, the decision to combine the championships with the national occasion was "one of the first ideas" sparked by the Organising Committee, which consisted of representatives from the Vejle Municipality, Sport Event Denmark and Parasport Denmark.

To help create awareness, Vestergaard recalled that Parasport Denmark visited several schools over the last two months to introduce students to Para sport and educate them on it before allowing them to test themselves today.

Dan Arnløv Jørgensen wants people's perceptions of disabilities and Para sport to change ©ITG
Dan Arnløv Jørgensen wants people's perceptions of disabilities and Para sport to change ©ITG

In an interview with insidethegames, Jørgensen, who is also chairman of the Culture and Sports Committee, expressed this was important to educating the next generation on people with disabilities and Para sport, citing his accompanied five-year-old son as an example.

"He learnt something today just by coming here," the deputy Mayor said.

"He doesn’t know anyone with disabilities.

"We don't have anyone in my family.

"The questions he asked on the way [to the venue] were very important lessons for him.

"I don't want him to see people with disabilities as anyone else other than human beings."

Danish children in Vejle take part in Para sport at school, even if they may not have a disability ©Vejle Municipality
Danish children in Vejle take part in Para sport at school, even if they may not have a disability ©Vejle Municipality

Equality, Jørgensen insisted, was the foundational motivation for his work, with changing people's perceptions and ensuring people with disabilities are active being his two key objectives.

The Danish official referred to how the local area has created "Para sport Olympic days" where children without disabilities must "participate as if they were disabled."

This, in his view, has also allowed them to learn a perspective they may not otherwise see.

Yet, he recognises plenty of progress is still yet to be made.

"We still have too many people with disabilities who are just parked in a home or a place and that's not good," Jørgensen said.

He added: "Anybody has to be able to be active in this municipality no matter what.

"Everybody can do something."