Hi, my name is Liv Fountain, and I am the chair of the Waikato I.Lead committee. Today, I will be reporting on the recommendations from the Sport and Recreation report card.
Recommendation one states to provide reasonable funding to organizations and make access and participation to Sport and Recreation and Leisure activities fully inclusive and accessible. A lack of funding is one of the biggest causes sporting and recreation organizations to being unable to provide inclusive sport and recreation to the disability sector. A lack of funding provided to organizations can mean that not as many people may get the opportunity to participate in sport.
Recommendation two is around governments providing adequate support and funding for indoor and outdoor recreation spaces, it states for governments to action with urgency. Accessible spaces, both indoor and outdoor, for people with disabilities; an example of this includes indoor buildings. Being able to navigate and use equipment and services independently, such as the swimming pool. For example, I am a swimmer, and the local pool I go to within the Waikato region, the accessible bathrooms are separate from the main changing rooms, meaning I have to travel further within the building to use the bathroom or change room.
Recommendation three is surrounding P.E. and Sports. The recommendation states that mandatory training on disability awareness and inclusion is needed for P.E. teachers. The commentary for this recommendation is that this should be part of teachers’ mandatory training, including at least three sessions and a refresher course annually. The lack of training and education around accessibility and inclusion is the biggest barrier when participating in school sport.
These were the recommendations for the Sport and Recreation report card, Thank You.
Reccomendation #1
To provide reasonable funding to organisations to make access and participation in sport and leisure activities fully inclusive and accessible.
A lack of funding is one of the leading causes of peak bodies and other sporting and recreation organisations’ inability to create inclusive participation for the disability sector.
Roadblocks:
Sourcing the funding and ensuring that the criteria for its delivery into the sector are met.
Enablers: By making participation easier to access, there would be a reduction in impacts on not just the person but also the health industry in the form of less need for doctors’ appointments.
Reccomendation #2
For the government to action with urgency, accessible spaces both indoors and outdoors for people with disabilities.
Indoor example – navigating within the building and using equipment and services independently – such as swimming pools. Please note that we have moved some of the information from here to the enabler.
Roadblocks:
Retrofitting costs for sports organisations and venues, including local government-run spaces and venues.
Enablers:
Safe spaces within venues for people with anxiety or invisible disabilities, such as quiet rooms or time spaces, along with elevated spaces at festivals for people in wheelchairs.
Reccomendation #3
Mandatory training for PE teachers on disability awareness and inclusion.
This training should be part of the overall teacher training and have at least 3 days of training and refresher courses annually.
Roadblocks:
The logistic practicalities in creating additional training for PE teachers and the inability to use that training in practice due to a lack of accessible equipment within the school and education environment.
Enablers:
Partnerships with specialist disability sport agencies to facilitate work experience and placement.