Tag: Disability Sport

A photo of a group of people sitting on chairs in a room, looking at Fraser Kennedy as he presents at a conference

SDS Demonstrates Best Practice at the Scottish Student Sport Conference

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) was delighted to take up an invitation from Scottish Student Sport (SSS) to present at their annual conference. Our West of Scotland Regional Manager, Fraser Kennedy, joined the SSS Inclusion and Culture Coordinator Eilidh Gibson and Lynne Glen, SDS Head of Development, to provide an overview of SDS and their partnership work with SSS.  

 

The presentation to the conference delegates raised awareness of the following:  

    • Importance of inclusive practice – highlighting the education and learning workshops available to college and university students, 
    • Volunteering opportunities that SDS and its member branches can offer students, 
    • Connecting and working in partnership with SDS Regional Managers and the branch network across Scotland.  

Fraser highlighted the best practice model of the Glasgow Partnership Forum, which includes the Sports Development Coordinator, the representatives from the Strathclyde Sports Union, the City of Glasgow College Active Campus Co-ordinator, SSS and SDS. The partners work together to increase opportunities across the two institutions for students with disabilities.

An instructor looks after customer in the gym - credit Activity Alliance

Summer of Sport Must Not Mask Reality of Trying to be Active for Disabled People

Research from Activity Alliance has revealed disabled people are still being left behind when trying to access sports and physical activities. With a summer of sport on the horizon, including the Paralympic Games and the increased awareness it brings, the national charity is leading calls to make meaningful changes so many more disabled people can enjoy an active lifestyle.

The report from the latest Annual Disability and Activity Survey shows disabled people are twice as likely to be inactive than non-disabled people, a disparity that has remained consistent since the first report was released five years ago.

With the world set to celebrate the sporting achievements of Paralympians in Paris this summer, the latest report highlights a significant ‘activity gap’ remains between disabled people and their non-disabled peers. Only four in 10 disabled people feel they have the opportunity to be active as they want to be, compared to seven in 10 non-disabled people.

The importance of harnessing the legacy of the Paralympic Games is clear, with three quarters (76%) of disabled people expressing a desire to be more active. Respondents in the survey praised the Games as an example of much-needed positive representation of disabled people. However, the extraordinary achievements of the country’s top athletes felt far removed from disabled people’s own lives and experiences.

With over 2,000 disabled and non-disabled adults aged 16+ taking part, the report offers in-depth insight into the day-to-day barriers disabled people face when trying to be active. Finding such as the fact that disabled people want to take part in physical activity in outdoor spaces like parks, countryside, or woodland. However, the reality is that less than half of disabled people say it is easy for them to physically access outdoor spaces.

Sharing their experiences with Activity Alliance, disabled people have made clear the significant barriers that make equal access to sport and physical activity feel far removed from their everyday lives. Reports within the survey include experiences of those who “dare not even put the heating on” let alone invest in their physical and mental health, and multiple reports that disability access remains “one of the forgotten things”.

Key findings include:

  • 43% of disabled people feel they have the chance to be as active as they desire, compared to 69% of non-disabled people. Disabled women are more likely feel the disparity in perceived opportunity compared to disabled men (39% vs 48%)
  • Disabled people are less than half as likely to ‘see people like them’ playing, working, and volunteering in sport and physical activity.
  • Disabled people mostly prefer being active in outdoor spaces like parks, countryside, or woodland compared to other locations, but less than half (44%) of disabled people say it’s easy for them to physically access outdoor spaces. This is a significant disparity compared to non-disabled people (78%).
  • Only 9% of disabled people agree they have the opportunity to become a coach or take on a role in delivering sport or physical activity (compared to 24% of non-disabled people).

Adam Blaze, Chief Executive at Activity Alliance, commented on the latest report:

“We know that the nation will get swept up by Olympic and Paralympic fever this summer, so what better opportunity to use this moment and finally address the stark differences in opportunities disabled people face in sport and physical activity.

“As we cheer on medal winners, I urge people to recognise that three-quarters of disabled people in our country want to be more active. Not everyone wants to be or can be a gold medal winner. Everyone has the right to be active where and however they choose to be, but this is not reality when you look at the latest findings in our survey. There are some fantastic examples across the country that challenge this trend, whether within the local community or national programmes, and these need to be available to everyone who wants to be active.

“There are more than 16 million disabled people in the UK, and the reality is that three in four want to be more active. This is not only an untapped market but shows there are vital improvements needed to break down deep-rooted barriers. A summer celebrating sporting achievements is the perfect time to do this.”

David Clarke OBE, Chief Executive of ParalympicsGB said:

“This Summer, as we celebrate the performance of athletes who have reached the pinnacle of their careers in elite sport, we must also ensure that everybody has the opportunity to take part in sport and physical activity. We know being active has so many benefits from health, mental wellbeing, strengthening friendships to community involvement.

“Disabled people continue to feel that they have less chance to be active compared to their nondisabled counterparts. Whilst we wave the flag for the ParalympicsGB team at the Paralympic Games we must also wave the flag for every disabled person in the UK, removing barriers to participation in sport and physical activity and creating thriving inclusive activity provision across the country.”

The full report is available to view at www.activityalliance.org.uk/how-we-help/research/annual-survey

 

Stephanie and Charis from Ability Shetland smile as they hold their MOR certificate towards the camera.

Ability Shetland Joins the SDS Family

We were delighted to announce at this year’s AGM and Awards that Ability Shetland has satisfied the criteria for our Minimum Operating Requirements and is now the 14th Branch to have joined Scottish Disability Sport.

Ability Shetland, and in particular, Stephanie Bain, has worked tirelessly over the last couple of years to get to where they are today, and it was a pleasure to be part of the partnership that established their development plan which aided them in securing funding from Shetland Charitable Trust and sportscotland’s Direct Club Investment for their very first Sports Development Coordinator post.

Ability Shetland and their partners were keen to develop more and better opportunities for people with disabilities across the Islands to get involved in sport and physical activity, and to better connect with clubs, athletes, competitions and pathways on the mainland. Stephanie has commented that they are already seeing the benefits of being a Branch with new athletes being supported, opportunities being developed and participants being invited to events on the mainland.

We are now delighted to work closely with Charis Scott, Ability Shetland’s Sports Development Coordinator, who has done a spectacular job so far in creating partnerships with clubs, developing a successful summer holiday programme, and engaging schools, participants and athletes in SDS events.

Well done to all at Ability Shetland.

If you (or someone you know) lives with a disability in Shetland and wants to get involved in sport or physical activity, get in touch with Alison on alison.shaw@scottishdisabilitysport.com or call 07828744848.

A young boy sitting in a kayak smiles at the camera.

Parasport Festival Returns to Grampian

On Friday 17th September, we saw the eagerly-anticipated return of the national Parasport Festival programme.

The Festival, which provides opportunities for school-aged pupils in mainstream education with physical disabilities and sensory impairments to try a range of specially-adapted sport and physical activity opportunities, returned to Grampian last month and was the first post-COVID Parasport Festival to take place.

Hosted at the well-equipped Aberdeen Sports Village, this year’s Festival featured a range of exciting sport and activity sessions including the debut of sitting volleyball and kayaking.

Extensive COVID measures were in place including the limiting of participant numbers and spectators, but this didn’t take away from the sheer joy that the youngsters and their families experienced whilst trying new activities and socialising with peers.

Rachael – mum to participant, Lucy – said of the day: “These days are a fantastic opportunity and are so good for the children on so many different levels, physically, socially and emotionally. It enables the children to participate in the sports in an environment that is inclusive, achievable and fun. Thank you so much for organising them. For me as a parent I love attending the days. Being part of the experience and being able to enjoy it with Lucy but also being able to stand back and watch her enjoying herself and what she is achieving. I also think it is beneficial to spend time with other parents and carers for the support you can give each other”.

In addition to providing opportunities for young people with disabilities, the Festival serves as an opportunity for coaches, teachers and activity leaders to gain hands-on experience of inclusive practice. This year, we were fortunate to be joined for the first time by over 50 first year Sports Coaching students from North East Scotland College. They spent time with the youngsters, engaging them in the different activities and providing concentrated support where needed. They also learned from the sport-specific coaches and were treated to a wheelchair basketball masterclass by Grampian Flyers Wheelchair Basketball Club Coach, Kirsty Smith.

Our next step is to continue to upskill the students and to signpost the participants into regular activity available locally to them.

A huge ‘thank you’ goes to all of the partners, clubs, organisations and individuals who supported the event, Corra Foundation for providing the funding to enable us to offer this event at no charge to the participants, and to the youngsters, parents and carers who came along and tried something new.

Roll on the 2022 event!

 

If you (or someone you know) live with a disability in Shetland, Moray, Aberdeenshire or Aberdeen City, and are keen to get involved in sport and physical activity, please email alison.shaw@scottishdisabilitysport.com or call 07828744848.