Sports Ability: an inclusive games program
Watch Sports Ability in action - 6.3 mb
Sports Ability is a national program designed to increase the participation levels in sport and physical activity of people with disabilities in a structured, safe, inclusive and fun environment. Sports Ability can be delivered in a variety of settings including schools and community clubs.
Sports Ability has two main aims, to provide:
- those working in a physical activity and sport setting with more ways of including people with disabilities
- a means for people with and without disabilities to interact in a sporting environment.
Sports Ability is appropriate for everyone, including:
- people with or without disabilities
- young people through to senior citizens.
What does Sports Ability consist of?
There are three elements of the Sports Ability inclusive games program including:
- equipment for five inclusive games (three of which are Paralympic sports)
- resource material, consisting of easy-to-use activity cards and instructional DVDs
- training is available in each state and territory through the Disability Sport Network. Sports Ability training provides participants with an opportunity to learn about all the activities and how they promote inclusion. Workshops are easy to organise, not expensive and are practical and fun.
Sports Ability Games
The Sports Ability program is based around five inclusive games, these games can be used developmentally or to provide new pathways in disability sport. These games include:
- Boccia - a bowls-type target game played at the Paralympics; suitable for all abilities, and provides an ideal vehicle for inclusion
- Goalball - a Paralympic sport developed for players who have a vision impairment. It is an exciting invasion game that introduces new challenges to both sighted and vision impaired players.
- Sitting volleyball - a Paralympic sport for players for whom standing volleyball may not be an option. As all players remain seated during play, sitting volleyball is an excellent inclusive game.
- Polybat - an accessible version of table tennis, particularly useful for young people who have coordination and control impairments. Polybat can also be used to introduce younger children to table tennis.
- Table cricket - a dynamic table version of cricket for players of all abilities, but specifically those with complex or higher support needs. It retains the three main elements of cricket - batting, bowling, and fielding - as well as most of the key rules.
- Traditional Indigenous Games - five traditional games have been included and can be adapted and modified to suit all abilities. These games have their origins in the Torres Strait, Central Australia, Northern New South Wales and Southeast Queensland.
How can I purchase a Sports Ability Kit?
Sports Ability equipment can now be purchased exclusively through Modern Teaching Aids. The cost of the kit is $1999.90 (GST exclusive) and includes sports equipment for five inclusive activities, activity cards, instructional video and a boardmaker CD.
To order please contact Modern Teaching Aids on 1800 251 497 (FREECALL) or sales@teaching.com.au or visit the website listed under Related links.
- Sports Ability Brochure (
PDF - 3.7 mb)
