POLICY
SAM ORDE Chair Activity Alliance
The importance of inclusive spaces
W
e know there’s still much
Activity levels among disabled people have declined during the pandemic
work to do to achieve our vision – fairness for disabled people in sport and activity.
issues that have existed for a long time. This is simply not fair or right. Prior to the pandemic, we were beginning to see encouraging signs, with more disabled people recorded being active than ever before. However, we are now seriously concerned about the pandemic’s impact on disabled people. Our second Annual Disability and Activity Survey (2020-21) revealed that twice as many disabled people felt that coronavirus had greatly reduced their ability to do sport or physical activity,
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The pandemic has severely exacerbated
“WE CANNOT ALLOW DISABLED PEOPLE TO FEEL FORGOTTEN AS WE STRIVE TO RECOVER”
when compared to non-disabled people. This is wholly unacceptable, especially
inclusive and welcoming activities and
when we consider that there are 14 million
customer service, so disabled people
disabled people in the UK – that’s one in five.
feel welcomed in your environment?
Every one of us deserves the right to reap the
Activity Alliance is here to help you to
physical and mental health benefits of being
break down these barriers. Our resources and
active. We cannot allow disabled people
training is readily available on our website.
to feel forgotten as we strive to recover. Our research shows there is a demand
Our Achieving Fairness strategy, published in 2021, has two clear goals.
for greater choice and opportunities to be
That is to change attitudes towards
active. That’s why we urge those in the leisure
disabled people in sport and activity, and
sector to do everything they can to remove
to embed inclusive practice. Making spaces
barriers to a healthier, happier nation.
and places inviting and accessible will
Our insight shows there are three main barriers to disabled people being active:
all help the vision for greater fairness. We want our places and spaces to genuinely
● Physical – Is the access into and inside
improve. Disabled people must be at the
your facility accessible? Are you making
forefront of decision making. The best informed
the adaptations or changes needed
solutions must always involve disabled people.
to support everyone taking part?
The pandemic has given us an
● Logistical – are there accessible transport
opportunity to rebuild. We need to take
links to and from your facility? Are sessions
this opportunity to rethink and reinvent.
available at convenient times? Is it affordable?
We ask people to champion inclusion
● Psychological – are your frontline
and work with us to make better active
leisure staff confident in providing
environments that benefit everyone. ●
SPORTSNATION.ORG.UK JAN/FEB 2022
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