ISD Blog

When it comes to sport participation, figures show that people born in non-English speaking countries are less likely to participate in sport and physical recreation. In this article we explore barriers and solutions to including people from multicultural backgrounds in sport.

FINA’s hasty and secretive vote to ban transgender women from women’s classification in sport is deeply troubling. It is vital to unpack some of the ethical issues when “fairness” is pitched against “inclusion.”

When websites and web tools are properly designed and coded, people with disabilities can use them. However, currently in sport, many websites and digital tools contain accessibility barriers that make them difficult or impossible for some people to use.

When we focus on an individual’s gifts and value that they can share with their community, we have taken the first step in facilitating and fostering a friendship based on a mutual interest that two people may share. Sport and active recreation can provide the perfect environment for this to happen.

When it comes to delivering successful inclusive sport programs there are a handful of really important things that make the difference between being successful or not so successful, and it all starts with the planning.

In this post you will learn what Universal design is, the 7 Principals of Universal Design and get examples of Universal Design in Sport and active recreation. Plus I will provide some additional resources to help you put things into action.

We all have habits, right. Some good, some not so good. But, have you ever stopped to think about how habits work and how your habits might impact inclusion in sport?

The 7 Pillars of Inclusion is a broad framework that provides sport clubs or organisations a starting point to address inclusion and diversity. Each pillar represents the common aspects of inclusion–the things that are similar regardless of who we seek to involve in sport.

While complying with legislation alone won’t always lead to successful inclusion in sport activities it is important that clubs and sports organisations at all levels understand and comply with Australian discrimination laws. Read on for summaries of the various Acts.

At the centre of the conversation about social inclusion is the concept of disadvantage. Inclusion happens when the barriers and challenges that lead to disadvantage are removed. In doing so everybody has a fair opportunity to participate. In other words, no one has an undue advantage or disadvantage in a given setting.

One of the key elements for successful inclusive sport programs is the ability to establish, tap into and maximise strong networks. When it comes to achieving true lasting engagement in sport activities, particularly for people in the community who might face disadvantage when it comes to getting involved in sport, sometimes its difficult to know exactly who or what the main influencers are.

Inclusion in sport is as all about shifting the way people think and act so that barriers to participation are removed. It’s about much more than just the activity itself and requires all the people and groups involved to be on the same page and moving in the same direction. Building and maintaining effective partnerships and networks plays an important role in achieving success. The question is how can we achieve this? This is where Collective Impact could provide sport administrators with a way forward.

An excellent way to show your commitment to and promote inclusion is to celebrate days, events and festivals that are important to the many diverse groups in your community. Doing so helps people feel acknowledged and represented. It also helps raise awareness and educate your sport club or organisation. Take a look at the 2022 Calendar of diversity days, celebrations and festivals.

ISD has teamed up with UserWay, the world’s leading provider of website accessibility compliance solutions. In this post we will introduce you to UserWay, explaining its features and benefits. In addition, you can find out how to get UserWay’s powerful web accessibility tools for yourself.

In this post I’m going to walk you through how to write an inclusion commitment statement for your sports club. I will also explore what an inclusion commitment statement is and why your club should have one.

Here we provide you with some handy data tools that will help you build a better picture of what types of people make up the communities you deliver your sport activities in. The best thing is these are all free!

Modifying or adapting sport activities to meet the needs, skills and abilities of participants can be a simple way for programs to be more inclusive. The inclusion spectrum is about considering the range of options available and adapting these to suit the needs, goals and capabilities of participants.

One of the most important contributors to successful inclusion in sport activities is adapting things to suit the needs of individual participants. In particular this applies to disability, where, adaptations are applied so that participation in activities or development of sport-based skills can occur effectively.

Language reflects and shapes the way we view the world. The words we use can influence community attitudes in a positive or negative way and can impact on the lives of others. In this post we will explore what inclusive language is and some sport specific terms you might find useful.

When it comes to promoting inclusion and diversity in sport images can become a powerful tool for letting people know they are welcome and valued in your sport community. In this post you will learn why thinking about the way you use images is important for inclusion, what makes a good image for promoting inclusion, things to consider when choosing images and where to find images that will help you promote inclusion in your club or sport organisation

Women's sport, in Australia particularity, is experiencing considerable growth. Female participation at a grass roots level is on the rise in a number of major sports. There are new elite and professional options available to female athletes. Media interest is on the rise and many people are seeing the benefits and value of female sport at all levels. However, there still remains an imbalance compared to men's experience in sport. So, what do you need to know and what can you do? In this post you will get the key information to understand the issue and tips on how to take action to change things for the better.

Partnerships are essential for achieving successful inclusion in sport. But, how do you find and connect with the right organisations and groups?In this post I will share with you some suggested ways to find the right partners that support your inclusion objectives and to establish partnerships with them.

Effective communication is vital to ensuring inclusion can happen in your sport program, club or organisation. Whether it’s a sign up form, newsletter or email it’s important to think about how easy it is for someone to read and understand the information you are providing.

The first experience any prospective member has at your club can make or break whether a person chooses to join. While most clubs are aware of some of the barriers that limit participation in sport such as facility access, cost, lack of transport etc. many may not be aware of the less tangible factors. In this post I will walk you through some suggestions on how to make every new member feel welcome from day one.

One of the biggest myths about making inclusion happen in sport is that it costs a lot of money. This is simply not true! There are plenty of things you can do that won’t cost you a cent.

In this post we provide a collection of the best web resources to help you create welcoming and inclusive sport opportunities for everyone!

Good businesses understand their consumers needs and wants then design and deliver products and services accordingly. This article explores how the "Supply and Demand" model can help sport practitioners understand of the interaction between sport program provision and the target markets they wish to engage with.