Disability Sport NI Launches Call to Action to Tackle Growing Inequalities in Sport

(L-R) Image shows Kevin O’Neill (Disability Sport NI CEO), Aubrey Bingham (Disability Sport NI Community Sport Manager) and Paddy Marshall (Disability Sport NI Chair) launching the campaign at Parliament Buildings, Stormont Estate.

Northern Ireland’s main disability sports charity, Disability Sport NI, launched its “All Equal All Active” Call to Action Campaign today urging organisations across Northern Ireland to improve the health and wellbeing of disabled people by actively addressing an unprecedented 18% drop in the number of disabled people participating in sport and physical activity in Northern Ireland over the last five years.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Disability Sport NI Chief Executive Kevin O’Neill said:

“The reduction in the sport and physical activity participation levels of disabled people is as a result of a complex range of issues, including the lasting negative impact of COVID-19 on sports participation habits, the provision of fewer sports opportunities for disabled people by many

District Councils, the disruption of Governing Body of Sport programmes by COVID-19 resulting in fewer sports opportunities for disabled people as well as the negative impact of the cost of living crisis on disabled people’s ability to pay for and travel to sports and activities.”

“We are particularly concerned at the current situation as it comes after many years of progress, when the sports participation levels of disabled people steadily increased, peaking in 2019/20, thanks to the development of a range of targeted sports programme by Sport NI, District Councils and Governing Bodies of Sport across Northern Ireland.” continued Mr O’Neill.

The charity is calling on key organisations in the health, education, and sports and leisure sectors to tackle the crisis by addressing five key issues:  The need for more local sports opportunities for disabled people in every area of Northern Ireland; the need for more inclusive sports facilities and equipment; the need for more inclusive Governing Body of Sport programmes; the need for equal access to PE and School Sport for disabled children as well as the better promotion of inclusive sports opportunities across Northern Ireland.

In the “All Equal All Active” campaign the charity highlights the underrepresentation of disabled people in sport and physical activity explaining that despite almost one in four people in Northern Ireland living with a disability or long-term health condition, they are half as likely to participate in sport and physical activity as their non-disabled peers and are also less than half as likely to be a member of a sports club.

The charity calls on organisations across Northern Ireland to tackle and address these stark inequalities in sport and physical activity by committing to a series of priority actions outlined in “All Equal All Active” Call to Action Campaign. For more information about the campaign or to get involved, please contact Disability Sport NI at 028 90 469 925 or visit www.dsni.co.uk.

Photo Caption:

(L-R) Image shows Kevin O’Neill (Disability Sport NI CEO), Aubrey Bingham (Disability Sport NI Community Sport Manager) and Paddy Marshall (Disability Sport NI Chair) launching the campaign at Parliament Buildings, Stormont Estate.

 

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