In the ramp-up to the Brisbane 2032 Games, Paralympics Australia was fielding lots of calls from sporting organisations and venues. These organisations are keen to achieve higher standards of accessibility and inclusion. Paralympics Australia aims to increase access to sports opportunities, so it was time to devise a universal design guide to help.
The Universal Design Guide for creating inclusive sport in Australia is a valuable reference for sports representative bodies. It provides useful information for beginning the journey towards adopting inclusive practices.
It’s also good for many other organisations because the underpinning principles and processes are the same. There are good examples of this in the sections on practicing inclusivity and beginning the inclusion journey.
A diverse range of people working and competing in different sporting codes provided input to the guide. It addresses structural and attitudinal barriers to universal design and inclusion and comprises:
- Definitions of accessibility, inclusivity and universal design
- How to adopt an inclusive mindset and language
- Motivating case studies
- Focus activities for universal design
- Practical guides for: hosting a universal design kick-off meeting, developing inclusive strategy, producing accessible documentation, and designing accessible inclusive digital experiences.
The guide is very practical with case studies and examples of meeting agenda and social media posts. It concludes with a list of leading organisations and other resources. Download a copy in Word from the Paralympics Australia website.
The authors used every care to use language that is accurate, inclusive, empowering and non-stigmatising. The document will be refined and updated as Paralympics Australia builds its activities to make Australian sport accessible and inclusive. Feedback welcomed.
The International Paralympic Committee also has an Accessibility Guide produced in 2020. It has a wider range of topics that cover the whole event including accommodation and transportation.
Para-sport for accessible tourism
This research paper from Japan requires institutional access for a free read. The researchers wanted to find out whether Tokyo Games led to more accessibility in non-host cities. The title of the paper is, Leveraging para-sport events for accessible tourism development in non-host cities: Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to explore Tokyo 2020’s non-host cities leveraging the Paralympic Games for accessible tourism development. Following their successful bid, the Japanese government launched a national initiative to promote an inclusive society, extending beyond Tokyo to include other regions and achieving the social model of disability. In particular, this study examined why and how non-host cities leveraged para-sport events for accessible tourism development.
Design/methodology/approach
We conducted multiple case studies focusing on three non-host cities that engaged in the national initiative from Tokyo 2020. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with city employees from the authorities in October 2019 and the municipal council meeting minutes mentioning the initiative.
Findings
Thematic analysis identified contexts, strategic objectives, resources and means comprising the leveraging processes, differing from the previously suggested leveraging process. Notably, non-host cities embarked on leveraging when they realized alignment between their existing policies and the national initiative. Contrary to assumptions, our findings suggest that sport event leveraging does not always require pre-existing resources. This study also revealed the transfer of various resources (e.g. human, financial, social, image of the event) during the process. Additionally, non-host cities prioritize physical accessibility and a barrier-free mindset for accessible tourism development, diverging from typical sport event impacts on local tourism.
Originality/value
This research provides insights and lessons from Tokyo 2020, guiding future para-sport events. Focusing on the pre-event phase, our data not only enhances research quality by minimizing interviewee recall bias but also contributes to a deeper understanding of ongoing leveraging efforts.