Inclusive Sport – the HOW and WHY

“It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.”

— Maya Angelou

The Ottawa Sport Council (OSC) is pleased to announce its sixth Sport Summit on Saturday, April 21, 2018 at the Nepean Sailing Club. Hosted in partnership with Ausome Ottawa and the Abilities Centre Ottawa, this Summit will focus on inclusion in sport for people with disabilities.

What makes an inclusive environment thrive? We need diversity of thought and a space where everyone feels welcome to participate and offer different perspectives. How can we start to take the necessary steps towards inclusion? Here are a few things to consider:

Access

How do people get to your venue and get in? Is it accessible to people with a disability? Is it safe to walk to and from your club and venue? What about public transport?

Attitude

How do you feel about inclusion? Is your club ready to welcome people with a disability or those from a diverse cultural background? Your answer is probably ‘yes’ but the truth is that most people’s good intentions don’t often translate into action.

Choice

Lack of choice is often given as a reason for non-participation, especially for people with a disability. Some simple adaptations to equipment, rules or policies may open choices for a marginalised group of people. So, what’s the best way to create more choice for more people? Talk to the people who want to be involved. They can tell you what services they are after, what prevents them from being involved and what needs to be changed.

Partnerships

You don’t need to tackle inclusion on your own. There will be other organisations in your community who share your inclusion goals and will work collaboratively with your club to achieve a common objective.

Communication

Does your communication reflect your commitment to inclusion? Look for opportunities to let people know that your club is inclusive. Think about where people from different ethnic groups gather in your community. What about people with a disability? Is there a place where your flyers or advertising will have the greatest impact? Use a variety of mediums and channels to communicate your message.

Policy

Getting the policy right is perhaps the first thing your club should do when aiming to move to a more inclusive framework. Good policy offers clear direction and guidelines for everyone involved in the sport and it will help to set realistic and consistent goals and objectives.

Real inclusion goes far beyond breaking barriers, there is much work to be done and action to be taken.

At our summit this spring, we look forward to welcoming a fantastic group of speakers, Julien Leblanc will once again facilitate the day. Stuart McReynolds from the Abilities Centre Durham will lead off the day with his keynote on WHY inclusion in sport is so important. Following Stuart, Ian Mendes will facilitate a panel of sport advocates from local community sport organizations who will share their insights and best practices into HOW to make your sport organization more inclusive.