Software engineering students involved in platform development for safe and healthy parasports

SafeParasport, a web-based platform created to increase knowledge about safe exercise and health for para-athletes, has been launched. Thanks to five software engineering students at BTH, the unique platform is now accessible to all para-athletes.

Although there are many exercise prevention programmes available for different sports today, most are not adapted or accessible to para-athletes. The need for an accessible e-health promotion platform specifically adapted to para-athletes is, therefore, great – not only in Sweden but globally.

Now the unique web-based platform for para-athletes has been launched. The team behind the project reached out to BTH software students to help with web development to solve the need for accessibility. The software students are all in the final phase of their education.

“By reaching out to BTH’s students and a local company from our network, we managed to finalise the platform. The fact that the platform has received regional, national and international attention shows that BTH and Blekinge is truly competitive, say Martin Söderberg, Health and Sports Technology Initiative at BTH.”

The web-based platform, SafeParasport, offers tips and advice for safe and healthy parasport.

“SafeParasport works similarly to the Swedish health advice service 1177. On the platform, users and coaches can find information on how to exercise but also how to prevent and handle injuries common for para-athletes, say Kristina Fagher, research and project leader for safe and healthy parasport.”

“There is no other platform in the world specifically developed for para-athletes. We hope that this will create new opportunities for users and coaches who do parasport worldwide to conduct safe exercise and create possibilities for long and healthy careers, say Jan Lexell, co-researcher in Safe and healthy parasport and member of the medical council in the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).”

The project and the new platform have been interdisciplinary and conducted by researchers from the research group Rehabilitation Medicine at Lund University in collaboration with the Sport and Exercise Institute at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. The project has been funded by the The Swedish Research Council for Sport Science, Folksam, Promobilia, the Norrbacka Eugenia Foundations, Lund University and the Swedish Paralympic Committee.