In very exciting news Sport Inclusion Australia and Deaf Sports Australia (DSA) are very pleased to confirm that they are recipients of a Better Ageing grant. This new venture covers both Australians with intellectually impairment and deaf and hard of hearing. The unique collaboration will see an Inclusion Sports Program delivering jointly created initiatives which will assist mainstream sports to be inclusive of older Australians with a disability and build the capacity of National Sports Organisations (NSOs) program delivery at all levels. Sport Inclusion Australia and DSA will work closely with Bowls Australia and Golf Australia in developing tool kits, education resources and workshops which will enhance each NSO’s workforce understanding of inclusive practices and promote better engagement initiatives for partcipants, who presently may be missing out.
The initiatives will concentrate on nationally presented workshops, development of new resources and online access to communication tools and skills which will provide an inclusive and welcoming environment for participants.
The Inclusion Sports Program aims to ensure mainstream sports programs are inclusive of older Australians with a disability, ensuring that they are more engaged and included in all levels of the sport’s program delivery. DSA General Manager Garry West-Bail states “To deliver a unique project in partnership with Sport Inclusion Australia marks a new strategic chapter for both organisations, we are stronger together and this new focus will have many positive outcomes for both participants and staff; each organisation has a similar ethos, values and commitment to the person first where sport is a vehicle for a person to aspire to be the best they can possibly be in a welcoming inclusive environment”
Sport Inclusion Australia CEO Robyn Smith has stated that “We are thrilled to bring together the strength and experience of our two organisations to deliver strategies that align so well with both our ideologies. We look forward to working with both the golfing and bowls sectors in achieving greater enagement for some of the communities most vulnerable members.”
In support of the initiative, Golf Australia Inclusion Senior Manager Christian Hamilton stated “We identify shared values on the importance of education and support for clubs, coaches and administrators to support participants who are deaf and hard of hearing or have an intellectual impairment in our sport.”
Bowls Australia CEO Neil Dalrymple stated “the tool kits, education resources and programs to drive participation will greatly assist Bowls Australia, particularly because these resources are designed to assist us to promote inclusive practices.”
The Move It AUS – Better Ageing program aims to prevent and reduce the impact of chronic disease and increase overall physical and mental health of older Australians.
In addition to the health benefits, engaging in physical activity and group sports for older Australians provides increasingly important opportunities for socialisation, peer-support, conversation and reduces the possibility for loneliness related physical and mental illnesses.
Deaf Sport Australia and Sport Inclusion Australia will commence planning the overall program and deliverables during May 2019 – the Inclusion Sport program will work with Bowls Australia and Golf Australia’s programs up until the end of 2020.
For more information please contact
Deaf Sport Australia
Garry West-Bail, General Manager
0419641645
garry.west-bail@deafsports.org.au
Sport Inclusion Australia
Robyn Smith, CEO
0418 979 459
robyn.smith@sportinclusionaustralia.org.au