Celebrating National Inclusion Week Through Sport and Activity

Sport and activity should be for everyone, everywhere. This National Inclusion Week, we celebrate progress while calling for change to break down the barriers disabled people continue to face.

National Inclusion Week (15–21 September), founded by Inclusive Employers in 2013, is a chance to spark conversations and inspire action on inclusion across all communities. It brings people together to explore intersectional issues, spanning gender, race, disability, LGBTQ+ and more. The Sport and Recreation Alliance are proud to partner with Activity Alliance to spotlight the importance of breaking down barriers so disabled people can enjoy the full benefits of sport and physical activity. Together, we aim to showcase progress across the sector and encourage every organisation to embed inclusion into daily practice.

We all belong in sports and activities. Yet many disabled children and adults don’t feel that they do. At school, in the local park or working out in a nearby gym, we all have the right to welcoming, inclusive, and accessible opportunities. The right to choose how we want to be active. Being active supports physical health, mental wellbeing, and social belonging. Yet many disabled people still face barriers that prevent them from taking part fully.

Activity Alliance’s Annual Disability and Activity Survey 2023–24 highlighted continuing inequalities. Disabled people remain twice as likely to be inactive as non-disabled people. Only 43% feel they have real opportunities to be active, compared with 69% of non-disabled people. Across five years of survey data, the gaps remain clear. Although 80% of disabled people want to be more active, just over half feel they can. Confidence, affordability, transport, and a lack of accessible spaces are among the biggest obstacles.

Representation is another issue. Only 15% of disabled people see people like them volunteering in sport, compared to 42% of non-disabled people. And while outdoor activity is popular, fewer than half of disabled people find local spaces accessible. These barriers limit not just activity, but connection with two thirds of disabled people who feel lonely say being active would help reduce it.

Despite challenges, inclusive practice is growing. There are thousands of organisations up and down the country making changes to ensure that everyone is welcome.

Funded by Spirit of 2012 and led by Activity Alliance, Get Out Get Active has engaged disabled and non-disabled people across the UK in free, community-based activities. It has reached tens of thousands of people, through a person-centred approach.

Every organisation can take steps towards greater inclusion:

• Understand barriers: Use Activity Alliance research and insight tools to identify gaps in your community.
• Adapt and tailor: Consider facilities, session design, and communication styles.
• Champion representation: Recruit and celebrate disabled staff, coaches, and volunteers.
• Use trusted channels: Partner with health and social care professionals, who are highly trusted by disabled people.
• Make your communications accessible: Ensure websites, booking systems, and promotional content are easy for everyone to use

Support is available through the Activity Alliance Learning Hub, which offers training, workshops, and resources to help organisations improve the inclusion of disabled people in sport and physical activity. The Sport and Recreation Alliance also provide the Inclusivity Hub, an extensive library of toolkits, reports, guidance, and links to help embed inclusive practice across the sector.

National Inclusion Week provides a focus, but inclusion must extend beyond one week. It is ongoing, requiring regular reflection and adaptation. It is collective, needing action across the whole sector. And it is sustainable, meaning inclusive practices should be built into every plan, budget, and training programme.

Now is the time to turn awareness into lasting change. At Activity Alliance, we call on all organisations to embed inclusion into everyday practice.

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