Loisirs Pluriels pour le Handicap- helping disabled children

Founded in 1992 in Rennes, the mission of the Loisirs Pluriels Federation is to encourage, from the youngest ages, encounters and shared activities between disabled and non-disabled children in the context of leisure and holiday activities.

Loisirs Pluriels groups together 10 local associations based in Brittany, the Loire Valley, Upper Normandy and Paris. Each local association manages child care day centres open to disabled and non-disabled children aged 3-13 on Wednesdays and during school holidays.

National Forum ‘Growing up together’ – Grandir Ensemble

For disabled children's access to child care and leisure facilities (www.grandir-ensemble.net)

Formed in September 2007 on the initiative of the Loisirs Pluriel Federation, supported by the Fondation de France and grouping together about thirty local and national organisations, the National Forum - Grandir Ensemble conducted a national survey on "the accessibility of child care and leisure facilities for disabled children and teenagers from the youngest ages".

This survey aims to serve as a reference guide for all concernedstakeholders (organisers, communities, fundraisers, etc.) and makes concrete proposals that favor the genuine development of child care and leisure facilities adapted to the needs of disabled children, adolescents and their families.

The findings of the survey were disclosed on June 24, 2009 at Sciences Po. The survey, which was carried out between January and December 2008, is the first of its kind in France in terms of the in-depth treatment of the subject matter, including the legal aspects. It led to the formulation of 15 concrete measures organised around the following topics:

• increasing availability of suitable facilities
• staff training
• technical support to administrators and quality assurance in respect of reception facilities and the information provided to families
• boosting national awareness and the mobilisation of all interested persons

CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre: a corporate sponsorship - expertise

We have taken part in the legal facet of this survey through a corporate sponsorship of our expertise on the topic of 'tort and criminal liability of organisers in respect of disabled children or children presenting health disorders in child care or leisure facilities'.

While this analytical work has laid the groundwork for legal thinking about the subject, the issue is still unresolved; it therefore proposes that the Government appoint a committee to deliberate on the legal and regulatory stakes with a view to making proposals for improvement.

Such committee ought to be composed of distinguished law professors, judges, representative associations of parents of disabled children and administrators of support facilities.