Banner showing the slogan Voir plus loin. Ensemble. and the ASAQ logo. In the background, several hands joined together symbolizing teamwork. Text below reads: ASAQ Fundraising Campaign 2025–2026.

(English version) ASAQ Autumn-Winter 2025-2026 Campaign

Since 1979, ASAQ has been championing sport for people who are blind or have low vision across Québec. As Québec’s goalball federation, we steward a sport created by and for those who see differently—and we’re building an inclusive, proud, and active community.

About the campaign

Together, we get inclusion moving.
This campaign puts ASAQ’s mission front and centre: to democratize access to sport for people living with a visual impairment. By supporting ASAQ, you make possible:

  • access to goalball (the flagship sport at the heart of our community);
  • discovery of adapted activities (youth introductions, complementary parasports);
  • training for coaches and practitioners working with people with visual impairments;
  • events where performance goes hand in hand with belonging and pride.

Donation Thermometer

Our progress, live.
Check back to see how your contributions grow our collective impact.

 

Where it all began

Born from the vision of Louis Michaud and André Fouquereau, ASAQ brought together pioneers and athletes in the late 1970s to create an initial hub for sports for people who are blind. In 1979, the Association was incorporated and became the reference in Québec. The 1980s cemented Québec’s dominance in goalball and the rise of the first programs. In 1990, ASAQ was officially recognized among single-disability sports federations, boosting its structuring role. Since then, ASAQ has developed introduction, training, and inclusion programs that have helped adapted sport shine across all regions.

Defining moments

  • 1977 – First Québec participation in track & field competitions for athletes who are blind.
  • 1978 – 13 Québec athletes take part in a Canadian athletics championship and a national goalball tournament in Newfoundland.
  • 1979 – Incorporation of the Association (Québec Section) and first Canadian Goalball Championship.
  • 1980s – Québec dominance in goalball (women’s and men’s teams win repeatedly).
  • 1985 – Gold for Canada’s women’s goalball team at the Goalball World Cup (strong Québec presence).
  • 1990 – Government of Québec recognizes ASAQ as the single-disability federation for sports for people who are blind.
  • 1996–2006 – Standout international performances in goalball and athletics; emergence of emblematic figures.
  • 2001 – Creation of the Montréal Goalball Invitational Tournament, which becomes a can’t-miss North American event.
  • 2007–2010 – Youth introduction programs (Silence SVP!, Du sport pour moi!) and regional rollout; tools produced (VI guide, code of ethics, goalball safety).
  • 2012 – ASAQ structures visual-impairment training (avg. 15 trainings/year) for coaches and practitioners.
  • 2017 – Inclusion in reverse: sighted students discover goalball, sound tennis, and blind soccer alongside their non-sighted peers.
  • 2019 – 19th edition of the Montréal Invitational Tournament: the tradition continues, the impact grows.
  • 2023 – The TIGM (Montréal Goalball Invitational Tournament) returns—a powerful moment of renewal after the pandemic, symbolizing resilience and solidarity.
  • 2024 – Launch of ASAQ’s 2024–2027 Strategic Plan—a clear roadmap to strengthen our mission, support our athletes, and amplify goalball and sport for people living with a visual impairment across Québec.
  • Today – ASAQ, Québec’s goalball federation, continues its mission: making sport accessible, safe, and empowering for all people with a visual impairment.

Walls of Excellence – Athletes who shaped our history

Goalball

  • Nancy Morin – Paralympic gold (Sydney, Athens), 2006 World Champion; Female Team Sport Athlete (Maurice, 2010).
  • Nathalie Chartrand – Paralympic medals (Barcelona – bronze; Sydney – gold), 20 Canadian Championships.
  • Bruno Haché – Three Paralympic Games; MVP at Canadians 2008 and 2012.
  • Mario Caron – Seven Paralympic Games; silver at Atlanta 1996; “Best player of the 1980–1990 decade.”
  • Éric Houle – Goalball silver (Atlanta 1996).
  • Anne Jarry – Goalball bronze (Barcelona 1992).
  • Danièle Lessard – Bronze (Seoul 1988) and gold at the 1985 World Cup.
  • Jean-François Crépeault – Goalball silver (Atlanta 1996).
  • Robert Deschênes – Player (1984) then coach (Seoul 1988 – bronze; Atlanta 1996 – silver; Sydney 2000).

Other disciplines

  • Yvan Bourdeau – First international medal (athletics, 1980), first blind athlete “carded” in Canada.
  • France Gagné – Paralympic silver medals (Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney); gold at 1994 Worlds (Berlin).
  • Viviane Forest – Gold in goalball (Summer) and gold at the Winter Games (alpine skiing, 2010)—a Canadian first.
  • Julie Cournoyer – Multiple medals in para-cycling (Atlanta, Sydney).
  • Geneviève Ouellet – Medals in swimming (IBSA 2003) and para-cycling (road bronze, Beijing 2008).
  • Stéphane Côté – Four Paralympic Games in para-cycling; over 15 years at the elite level.
  • Daniel Chalifour – 2008 and 2012 Paralympic Games (para-cycling).

How to contribute

Every donation counts. Whatever the amount, your gesture fuels the mission: more access, more safety, more joy in movement.

Make a donation

Want to learn more about ways to give? Visit our “Faire un don” section: sportsaveugles.qc.ca/faire-un-don

Other ways to support

🤝 Become a partner (businesses, foundations, municipalities)
🧑‍🏫 Volunteering / officiating (goalball)
🎯 School-based campaigns (Silence SVP!, Inclusion in reverse)

ASAQ – Association sportive des aveugles du Québec

📍 Head office: 7665 boulevard Lacordaire – Montréal (Québec) H1S 2A7
📞 Phone: 514-252-3178
✉️ Email: [email protected]
🔗 Socials: Facebook | LinkedIn
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