Sport and Aussies go together like Vegemite and Cheese.
Our nation has a long and proud history on the international sporting stage, and our grassroots organisations have kept communities connected and engaged for lifetimes.
In the exciting lead-up to the 2024 Paris Paralympics, NDSP is continuing our work with Paralympics Australia to promote visibility, acceptance, and participation in accessible sport.
We know 75% of Aussies living with disability want more opportunities to play sport.
This blog post explores how you can get started in adaptive sports – classic games that have been modified for people living with disability.
How can I get into playing adaptive sports?
Paralympics Australia asks us to ‘Imagine what we can do’. To make imagination reality, we’re using this article to shine a light on the top five most popular sports-related activities for Australians living with a disability.
We have included links to relevant organisations to help you get started on your adaptive sporting journey. You can also get in touch with local clubs to query their accessibility.
Remember when researching potential sports to check for classifications or specific eligibility criteria to see if they are suitable for you.
Here are the top 5 adaptive sports played in Australia:
1. Swimming
Unsurprisingly for a nation with a largely coastal lifestyle, swimming is number one on the list. This sport is accessible to people with a physical, intellectual or visual impairment.
Swimming is popular across all age groups. Data from The Clearinghouse for Sport, collected from 2018-2022, indicates around 450,000 Australians with a disability swim at least once a week.
Competitive para-swimming
Athletes can participate and compete at all levels, from their local clubs up to the Australian Championships, in their preferred disciplines:
- Freestyle
- Backstroke
- Butterfly
- Breaststroke
- Medley events
Swimming for exercise
Swimming can help with long-term health conditions, especially for those who may find it difficult to stay active on land. Learning to swim or improving your technique can help you maximise your enjoyment in and around water, as well as your overall health and well-being.
Any swimming is good! You don’t need to do relentless laps to start reaping the feel-good benefits of swimming.
Helpful links for swimming:
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- Find an Autism Swim Approved provider in your local area
- Learn more about para-swimming as a competitive sport, and find resources for classification with Swimming Australia and Paralympics Australia.
2. Cycling
Another hit across the ages, cycling showed a 300,000+ strong regular participant base in the same Clearinghouse report. Cycling is an accessible sport with various types of events able to be adapted for specific needs.
Competitive para-cycling
As a competitive sport, there are four groups:
- Blind and visually impaired riders
- People with cerebral palsy
- Locomotor disabilities
- Handcycling
More details for these are available via Disability Sports Australia.
Cycling equipment can be adapted to suit athletes, who may be assigned bicycles, tricycles, tandem bikes, or handcycles to race with depending on their level of functionality.
Bike riding with a disability
Outside of competition, cycling will help improve overall fitness and can be very social with clubs around Australia. ‘Recreational’ cycling groups are common, though you may need to check with specific clubs to see if they are suitable for your needs.
Helpful links for adaptive cycling:
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- Find out more about adaptive cycling
- Find out more about competitive para-cycling
- Visit TAD Australia for Adaptive Technology (AT) organisations in your state.
- For more adventurous riders, Break The Boundary empowers people with physical disabilities to get into off-road mountain biking across Australia.
3. Running / Athletics
Around 220,000 people with a disability regularly participated in running or athletics sports-related activities.
Athletics covers a range of disciplines in track and field, using wheelchairs, prosthetics, and other approved assistance which can be modified to suit the para-athletics environment for competitors in:
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- Races
- Relays
- Marathons
- Discus, shot put or javelin (either standing or seated throwing)
Helpful links for para-athletics:
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- How, who and where – find your introduction to para-athletics with this Disability Sports Australia info page.
- For more information on events, classifications and contacts, try Paralympics Australia’s para-athletics page.
4. Football / Soccer
Got aspirations of representing Australia in ‘the beautiful game’? Football or soccer can be great fun whether you’re looking to play competitively or socially to meet new mates, gain skills, and work on your fitness.
Many different forms of soccer, football, and AFL promote participation for athletes with a disability.
The strategy and teamwork involved in soccer and footy games have huge benefits for social inclusion and self-esteem, beyond physical gains.
Helpful links for inclusive football and soccer:
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- Details, classifications and more for Football (7-a-side)
- Information for playing in AFL Inclusion programs
- How to play Powerchair Football: Resources and contacts
5. Tennis
Last on this list but certainly not least – sometimes called ‘the sport of Kings’, tennis is welcoming, safe, and inclusive for players with a disability. The two main categories for adaptive tennis are standing tennis or wheelchair tennis, with further adaptations for vision, hearing and intellectual disability.
Wheelchair tennis
Follows the traditional rules, with the exception that players are allowed two bounces of the ball. There are two class divisions based on functional ability: Open Division, and Quad Division.
Standing tennis
Also known as adaptive standing tennis or para-standing tennis. Has four classifications to account for the impact on mobility different impairments will make for players.
Helpful links for adaptive tennis:
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- Find resources for all-abilities tennis, including ways to get involved, with Tennis Australia.
- Find out more about wheelchair tennis: How to get started, classifications, local organisations, and information on upcoming tournaments.
- Register your interest, find out how to get classified and see upcoming events for para-standing tennis.
Adding sports-related activity to your NDIS plan
If you can align your activity with your NDIS plan goals, you may be able to receive funding under the relevant NDIS supports budgets. This could potentially cover ‘reasonable and necessary’ items like:
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- Transport to and from activities
- Sports coaching
- Community programs
- Adaptive equipment
Related reading:
Grassroots sport for people with a disability
All athletes start somewhere, and that’s usually with a grassroots organisation.
The cost and administrative requirements of becoming NDIS registered providers can be too much for local grassroots organisations (which are largely volunteer run) to absorb. As a result, many smaller clubs are not registered with the NDIS.
Using plan management or self-management (as opposed to agency management) will allow you to engage the supports you want with your NDIS budget, including non-NDIS registered organisations.
Even better, plan management offers this flexibility and freedom without the administrative burden of managing your NDIS funds yourself.
See related: NDIS Self Managed vs Plan Managed vs Agency Managed Explained
Some other tips for getting started in adaptive sport
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- Don’t be afraid to try a few things out! You may not find the perfect fit right away, and there are certainly many to choose from (though what is available to you may depend on your location).
- Other popular sports include basketball, golf, bowls – check out this list of adaptive sports in Australia for inspiration!
- You can find events and ‘come and try’ days through national services like Disability Sports Australia, who collaborate with local providers. If you want to get into para-sport, you can reach out to Paralympics Australia to register.
Paralympics Australia & NDSP Plan Managers
At NDSP, we firmly believe that nothing should get in the way of your goals.
Three in four Australians with a disability want more opportunities to get involved in sport. While our sports communities (from grassroots all the way to elite levels) have come a long way, there is still plenty of room to grow visibility, inclusion, and access.
We are proud to partner with Paralympics Australia to amplify their inspiring work for para-athletes and accessible sport for people with a disability.
