Month: December 2025

Australian All Abilities Championship Becomes First IGF Counting Event Under New Rules

Four people stand on a golf course holding a large white International Golf Federation banner, with two people gripping the sides of the banner and two others standing on either end, and the text “Ministry of Sport” visible in the sky area on the left.

Golf Australia and the International Golf Federation (IGF) have announced a huge step forward for para-golf inclusion.

The 2026 Australian All Abilities Championship will be the first event in the world recognised as an IGF Counting Event under the new Classification Rules, marking a major milestone on the pathway to golf’s inclusion in the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games.

The event will give athletes and national federations the first opportunity to be classified under the new internationally aligned system — a crucial move towards growing the global athlete pool and creating a clear high-performance pathway for para golfers.

Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said hosting this landmark event places Australia at the forefront of the sport’s Paralympic journey, with IGF Chairman Guy Kinnings commending Australia’s leadership and partnership in driving this vision forward.

Teen becomes first nationally accredited netball umpire in a wheelchair

A wheelchair user wearing a white Netball New South Wales polo shirt sits on an indoor court holding a colourful unicorn-patterned netball, with basketball hoops and court lines visible in the background, and the photo credit “ABC News – Alice Walker” overlaid on the right side.

18-year-old Lavington local Brodie Taylor is making history in netball — becoming the first umpire in Australia to earn national accreditation while using a wheelchair.

Brodie started out sitting courtside with his mum, watching his siblings play. Now, he’s a familiar face at local games on the VIC-NSW border, umpiring both social comps and the competitive Hume League

. His sharp knowledge of the game, fairness on court, and connection with players quickly caught the eye of Netball NSW, leading to his C-badge accreditation which was achieved without any changes to the national criteria.

Brodie is passionate about making sport more inclusive and hopes his journey encourages others with disability to get involved.

Special Olympics Australia launches next-generation inclusive coaching course

ASAPD member Special Olympics Australia has released an updated version of its flagship eLearning course, Coaching Inclusive Sports for People with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism.

Building on the success of the original 2018 course, which reached over 2,500 coaches nationwide, the new program introduces contemporary research, modern coaching practices, and richer learning experiences designed to strengthen inclusive sport across Australia.

Developed with Playbk Sports and delivered through the award-winning Inclusive Sport Academy, the course brings together Special Olympics athletes, expert coaches, and sector leaders to empower coaches with practical skills for creating inclusive sporting environments.

Transformative inclusion efforts earn Veronica Treloar ASC Sport Volunteer of the Year

Two people stand side by side on the beach at Williamstown Life Saving Club, with the woman in a navy club shirt holding a Volunteer of the Year award and the man in a blazer beside her, as beach equipment and a yellow tent appear blurred in the background.

Veronica Treloar, from Williamstown Swimming & Life Saving Club in Melbourne, has been named the 2025 ASC Sport Volunteer of the Year for her outstanding contribution to inclusion and accessibility in sport.

Recognised for her transformative work leading the Starfish Nippers program, Veronica has helped create safe and supportive sporting pathways for young people with disability across Victoria. Since taking on the coordinator role in 2016, participation has grown from five to more than 20 children, supported by a one-to-one volunteer model.

Her leadership has also extended statewide through Life Saving Victoria’s Adaptive Sport Working Group, where she’s helped introduce adaptive events and new opportunities for athletes with disabilities to compete.

This honour, presented by ASC CEO Kieren Perkins, highlights Veronica’s decade-long commitment to building a culture of inclusion and respect in Australian sport.

Three in four autistic children want to play more sport but avoidable barriers stand in their way

A smiling teenager with long light-brown hair tied back sits indoors wearing a dark T-shirt, with a softly focused lounge room and wooden table in the background.

Autistic teenager Hayley loves dancing, but the bright lights, noise and fast pace of studio classes can be exhausting, even when everything looks fine on the surface. At home, with the furniture pushed aside, dance feels natural and joyful, yet the effort to keep up and mask their struggles often leads to days of recovery.

New research from the Aspect Research Centre for Autism Practice shows many autistic children and adults feel the same way: they want to be more active, but face barriers like overwhelming environments, rigid programs and limited autism-informed coaching. For Hayley, dance is still life-changing, building confidence and happiness despite the toll.

“We’ve come so far”: Davidson on the evolution of wheelchair tennis

A wheelchair tennis player in a white shirt and cap leans forward on an outdoor hard court, extending a racquet to hit a yellow tennis ball, with strong sunlight casting shadows and a dark blue backdrop behind them.

From a late start and a decade away from the game, Heath Davidson has risen to become a four-time Australian Open wheelchair doubles champion and former world No. 3 singles player. His story is grounded in resilience, using tennis to turn his life around and become a strong advocate for disability inclusion on and off the court. Marking International Day for People with Disability, he highlights how wheelchair tennis is increasingly integrated with the wider sport, from shared training environments with able-bodied players to initiatives like the Australian Open Wheelchair Championships and All Abilities Week. Looking ahead to a record 2026 Australian Wheelchair Tennis Summer Series, with inclusive events in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and at the Australian Open, Davidson says the sport has “come so far”, and that, above all, he simply loves playing tennis.

Governments must increase investment into Para sport urges IPC

Six presenters stand side by side on a blue stage in front of a large screen reading “Future in Play – International Forum on Inclusive Sport and Physical Education,” with the UNESCO and CAF logos at the top; one person uses a power wheelchair, and all are wearing event lanyards under bright overhead stage lighting.

At UNESCO’s Future in Play: International Forum on Inclusive Sport and Physical Education in Santiago, Chile, last week, International Paralympic Committee Deputy CEO Kristina Molloy called on governments to boost investment in Para sport to advance social inclusion.

Speaking to ministers, sport leaders, and educators from around the world, Molloy highlighted how the Paris 2024 Call to Action can guide governments in breaking down barriers and achieving meaningful disability inclusion in sport and education.

The Paris 2024 initiative (developed by the IPC and UNESCO) offers a roadmap for collective action, urging investment in accessible infrastructure, inclusive education, stronger data, and diverse media representation. Molloy emphasised that progress relies on collaboration between governments, international bodies, and the Paralympic Movement to ensure equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

Boccia: the most inclusive sport in the world and a leader in integrity

A boccia athlete in a powerchair lines up a shot using a head pointer and ramp, while a support person in a NSW team shirt steadies the ramp and another athlete looks on in the background at an indoor boccia competition.

Boccia is one of the world’s most inclusive sports, created specifically for athletes with high support needs and offering a genuine pathway to belong, compete and excel. On International Day of People with Disability, Sport Integrity Australia highlights how Boccia Australia has a strong integrity culture, safeguarding practices and a deeply supportive community are making the sport safer and more accessible for some of Australia’s most vulnerable athletes.

From Paralympian Daniel Michel finding a sport “for people exactly like me”, to coaches, referees and volunteers who prioritise safety, education and respect, boccia shows what is possible when a sport is built for inclusion from the start. Events such as national championships and international tournaments on home soil are opening doors for more athletes to participate without the significant barriers of long-distance travel.