Making sport accessible to all

Local sporting clubs, schools and community groups are helping break down barriers for people with disability across the City of Moreton Bay, making it easier for more residents to get involved in sport and recreation.

Helping drive that change is Sport4All inclusion coach Emily Finn-Brumm, who has worked with 181 organisations this year to help create more welcoming environments for people of all abilities.

A long-time Boccia coach, working with people with physical disabilities in a sport similar to lawn bowls, Emily has spent the past year working with 86 sporting clubs and 64 schools, as well as other community organisations, through training, conversations and practical advice on making activities more inclusive.

But she says the program's success is about more than the number of organisations involved.

“The real success has been the relationships built, the conversations started, and the willingness of organisations across City of Moreton Bay to embrace inclusion,” Emily said.

“Every check-in completed, every training session undertaken, every action plan developed, and every inclusive event delivered brings us one step closer to a community where everyone has the opportunity to participate, belong, and thrive.

"Investing in long term education and change helps us be a truly inclusive city, more than one off events."

Sport4All is a national initiative involving the Federal Government, Australian Sports Commission and Get Skilled Access, the consultancy founded by former Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott.

Managed and delivered by people with disability and lived experience, the program focuses on helping grassroots sporting organisations make participation more accessible.

Mayor Peter Flannery said the initiative was helping local sporting clubs, schools and First Nations communities better understand inclusion, particularly as the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games approach.

“Each and every one of our residents should be given the chance to participate in sports, especially ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” he said.

“By working alongside local organisations, we’re helping create welcoming environments where more people can connect, participate and thrive through sport and recreation.”

Sporting clubs, schools and First Nations communities interested in working with Emily can contact Council's sport and recreation team at [email protected].