Disability and Inclusion
Sport NSW recognises the social and health benefits associated with participation in sport and active recreation. Sport NSW believes that sport should be accessible to all members of the community and is committed to increasing the inclusion footprint of our organisation, members and stakeholder groups.
What inclusion means to Sport NSW
- Embracing diversity – age, gender, race, nationality or ethnic origin, religion, language, sexual orientation, physical ability;
- Valuing diversity of perspective – leveraging the diverse thinking, skills, experience and knowledge of our staff, members and stakeholders;
- Respecting stakeholder diversity – developing strong and sustainable relationships with diverse stakeholders, communities, employees, customers and suppliers.
Sport NSW is committed to providing access and equal opportunities for all Australians to enjoy sport and active recreation, through the creation of welcoming and inclusive environments. Sport NSW will continue to consult and engage stakeholder groups, members and leading industry organisations as we continue to grow our inclusive foot print.
Why is inclusion important?
Around 20% of the Australian population identifies as having a disability. This is around 4 million Australians – in New South Wales this equates to around 1.3 million people. This number will only increase as our population gets older, lives longer and becomes more diverse.
Research undertaken by the Australian Sports Commission has identified that People with disabilities are 15% less likely to participate in sport and active recreation and of those that do participate, 75% are not satisfied with the types and frequency of opportunities available.
A number of studies have concluded that sport is a vehicle for social change and reform. Sport has the power to change lives – through involvement in sport and active recreation, people are able to gain confidence, learn new skills, connect and integrate socially and grow in ways far beyond the basketball court, bowling centre or football field.
When finished, this page will host a compliaton of resource material, case studies and planning documents to assist sport and recreation providers in their inclusive journeys.
Adaptive Sport Community Information Sessions
As part of the Sport NSW Disability Inclusion project, in 2023 Sport NSW will run Adaptive Sport Community Information sessions in 8 regions. To register for your local session and for more information click here.
Resources
The links below are to external pages that contain additional information on inclusive practices.
English Federation of Disability Sport