Newsletter

Return to newsletter

Active-ability

Having a disability is no barrier to being active. Malcolm McClean reports on some of the Community Sport Initiative and Active England projects which are pushing back the boundaries.

At the Royal Caledonian Curling Club in the picturesque town of Perth, Scotland, disability is no barrier to taking part. The ancient sport of curling is doing more than most to adapt itself to include people with disabilities and a special club runs for wheelchair users.

In 2002 the first wheelchair world championships were held and in 2006 wheelchair curling became a paralympic sport. The sport offers a good workout, the chance to socialise and a quick route to becoming an elite performer. It even has its own vocabulary. Wheelchair users are known as 'Wheelies', able bodied players as 'Standies' and coaches are called 'Walkie-talkies'.

This is just one example of how sport and physical activity is being opened up to people with disabilities through the Community Sport Initiative and Active England.

There are many others. Some favourites include The Mourne Heritage Trust in Northern Ireland. Set in the picturesque mountains of Mourne the trust has created an tree nursery, and in partnership with The Down and Lisburn NHS Trust runs active lifestyle sessions for people with learning disabilities. The programme involves tending the nursery, where every year 6000 indigenous trees are being produced to be planted locally. At first the Trust was concerned that the work involved in tending the nursery was repetitive, but it was found that the participants actually respond well to having a routine and are good at focusing on things that involve repetition. Most of all they enjoy being out in the open, and their efforts are creating community and environmental benefits.

In Manchester, The Royal School for the Deaf accommodates 76 students. The students are learning impaired, autistic, wheelchair users, deaf and sometimes blind as well.

Supported by the Active England programme a series of one week events are run integrating disabled and able bodied young people, the split is now about 50:50. This multi-sport festival involves the young people working and playing together and they have found that able bodied young people are curious to understand disabilities and real friendships are forged. The festival is so popular, that disabled people travel from all over England and one even makes the journey from the USA.

Another Active England project, Ability Sports has set up a multi-sports club in a council run leisure centre for under eighteen's with disabilities. According to project manager Hannah McLeod, a big is issue is changing the perception of the parents of disabled young people. She says "Often they believe that there is nothing that can be done".

How wrong they are. The Community Sports Initiative and Active England is showing that there is so much that can be done to get disabled people more active.

Return to newsletter