photo: Tanni Grey–Thompson
The physical activity sector has an essential role in narrowing the disparities and inequalities faced by disabled people today, many of which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. UK Active’s vision is to develop a sector that is freely accessed and utilised by all, enabling everyone to be active and participate in whatever capacity they wish.
We must recognise this moment as an unmissable opportunity to do more for disabled people, as part of our shared ambition for growth.
There are those people who simply enjoy their visits to their local leisure centre or gym, but there are also those who rely on our sector’s services to learn crucial life skills, to socialise with those around them, to increase their connections with their community, and to improve their physical and mental health. Consider those who are learning to swim, who need to practice functional fitness, or who are using exercise as part of rehabilitation or to ease the effects of an impairment – physical activity is an indispensable part of their lives.
Everyone Can is an ongoing agenda from UK Active, supported by Sport England, to set a collaborative tone for inclusivity and accessibility across the sector. As the sector’s trade body, we’re uniquely placed to deliver on this, drawing on our partnerships to raise awareness; to grow our relationship with the disability sector for true collaboration, and to convene operators and suppliers to share learnings and evidence.
As part of these ambitions, we’ve undertaken a sector-wide consultation to examine the physical activity landscape for disabled people, with a focus on our sector’s services. We began 2022 with a series of roundtables bringing our members together with organisations from the disability sector to progress this conversation.
Over the coming year we will deliver insights specific to fitness and leisure, including the needs and motivations of disabled people and the recommended solutions for the sector to implement. Our findings to date show that the sector must enhance levels of customer service and engage better with disabled people, such as providing more information to consumers and communicating that facilities are open to all.
The importance of gathering and reporting usage levels and behaviours among disabled people is another strong theme.
Our sector wants to continue improving the standards for disabled people in every community, and this collaborative approach will be fundamental for success.
We must recognise this moment as an unmissable opportunity to do more for disabled people