For coaches and clubs
Supporting inclusion of people with disability
Many sports and recreation clubs in Australia actively encourage the inclusion of people with a disability. Inclusion can be achieved through:
- no modifications
- minor or major adaptations or modifications
- involvement of people with a disability in non-playing roles, such as coaching or being an official.
Australian Sports Commission
The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and Sport Australia provides information about inclusive practices for officials.
GingerCloud Foundation
GingerCloud established the Modified Rugby Program. Find out about this modified form of rugby that was developed to encourage children with learning and perceptual difficulties to play rugby and become part of their local junior rugby club community.
Swimming Australia
Swimming Australia has guides for swim coaches to help them support swimmers who have a disability. Coaches and swimmers also share their thoughts in a video about swimming for people with disability on Swimming Australia's YouTube channel.
Bowls Queensland
Bowls Queensland has information about working with people with disabilities to make lawn bowls and bowls clubs more accessible to people with a disability. You can also read about how lawn bowls is a game for everyone.
Gymnastics Australia
Gymnastics Australia has a national program, GymAbility, that promotes inclusion of people with disability in the sport, whether they are interested in being a gymnast or in other roles—like being a volunteer, coach, athlete or judge.
Play by the Rules
Play by the Rules offers free online training courses, including interactive scenarios for coaches, administrators, officials and players about their rights and responsibilities under discrimination and child protection laws.
Deaf Sports Australia
Deaf Sports Australia fact sheets cover topics such as communication, coaching and booking an Auslan interpreter to support clubs with being inclusive of Deaf athletes.
Funding for clubs and organisations
The Australian Government and the Queensland Government, as well as local councils in Queensland, provide funding to support sport and recreation organisations, such as local clubs, with encouraging people of all abilities to get involved in sport in their communities.
Australian Sports Commission
The Australian Sports Commission provides funding on behalf of the Australian Government to National Sporting Organisations for people with a Disability (NSODs). Information about eligibility criteria, as well as applying for recognition as a NSOD, is available on the website.
Queensland Government
Find out about sport and recreation funding programs offered by the Queensland Government. We also provide funding to major sport and recreation bodies for people with a disability.
Local councils
Local councils also provide funding to sport and recreation providers to help them make their sport more inclusive. You can use the Queensland Local Government Directory to contact your local council to find out about funding that may be available.