08/06/2026
🏃♀️⚽🎾🦽⛳️
Every child deserves the chance to experience the joy, friendship and confidence that sport can provide. Yet for many children with disability, participating in mainstream sports programs is far more challenging than it should be.
The reality is that most children with disability (up to 74% of autistic children) want to play sport. They want to learn new skills, make friends, be part of a team and enjoy the same opportunities as their peers. However, many face barriers that make participation difficult.
Some of the most common challenges include:
🎾 Coaches and volunteers who have limited training or confidence in supporting children with disability.
🎾 Programs that aren’t flexible enough to accommodate different learning, communication or sensory needs.
🎾 Inaccessible facilities, equipment or environments.
🎾 Higher costs associated with support needs, transport or specialised equipment.
🎾 Social barriers, including fear of exclusion or repeated “failures”, or lack of understanding behind behaviours being labelled as “bad attitudes”when adjustments are not met.
Research shows that Australians with disability participate in sport at significantly lower rates than those without disability, despite the same benefits to physical, social/emotional and mental health. Disability Sports Australia reports that participation is limited not by interest, but by barriers such as inaccessible facilities, limited programs and a lack of local opportunities.
The Australian Sports Commission has also identified costs, transport, accessibility and a lack of awareness of available programs as major barriers to participation.
Research has found that 75% of people with disability are not satisfied with the types and frequency of sporting opportunities available to them.
We need to create environments where every child can participate, learn and thrive. When we adapt our programs, educate our coaches and welcome children of all abilities, we create stronger clubs, stronger communities and more opportunities for every child to succeed.
Because sport should be for everyone 💙
