About us
The ASAPD Strategy
Together with the support of Australian Sports Commission, leaders from National Sporting Organisations for People with a Disability (NSODs) united to establish an Alliance, dedicated to better serve the disability sport sector. These NSODs are lead organisations with participant numbers, members, and volunteers that collectively impact many thousands of people across Australia, and including Blind Sports Australia, Boccia Australia, Deaf Sports Australia, Disabled Wintersport Australia, Riding for the Disabled Australia, Special Olympics Australia, Sport Inclusion Australia, and Transplant Australia.
Our Vision
Empowering our members to create inclusive environments for all people living with a disability through sport and active recreation.
Our Values
Inclusion – Integrity – Collaboration – Innovation
Inclusion
We welcome, respect, and support everyone to participate fully in sport and active recreation, focusing on people living with a disability.
Co‑create projects with members and the community to ensure welcoming, accessible environments for all abilities.
Provide practical tools and resources that remove barriers and support full participation.
Integrity
Integrity is key to our identity, ensuring our governance and actions align with our vision to be a unified force for change.
Uphold authentic representation by aligning decisions and advocacy with the needs of people living with a disability.
Build trust through transparency, acting as a reliable, principled partner for the disability sporting community.
Collaboration
We achieve strength through a unified voice and intentional partnerships with members, stakeholders, and governments.
Drive collective advocacy by aligning member needs with strategic engagement to amplify impact.
Foster a “Peak Body” alliance where shared knowledge and resources maximise our potential.
Innovation
We drive positive change, seeking transformative ways to evolve the sporting landscape.
Stay person‑centred, focusing on individual needs and diverse talents to design effective solutions.
Challenge the status quo using research and evidence to pioneer new strategies in sport and active recreation.
Our Principles
- Improve the quality of life for people with a disability by promoting participation in sport and active recreation
- Represent people living with a disability, enabling full participation in sport and active recreation
- Lead a unified approach for active lives in welcoming and socially inclusive environments
- Advocate, educate, and support inclusivity in the broader sporting and active recreation sectors for those living with a disability. Foster relationships with governments and stakeholders to enhance accessibility in sport and active recreation
- Ensure ASAPD’s sustainable governance aligns with its vision and mission
Benefits of the ASAPD Collaborative Approach
This new unified and collaborative approach has already delivered several tangible benefits, including:
- More cohesion in the disability sporting sector.
- Greater efficiency in sport delivery.
- Improved working relationships with NSO’s and inclusion as an integral part of the wider sporting industry.
- Enhanced programs and pathways from grassroots to high performance.
- Increased capacity to engage more inactive people in sport and physical activity.
- Unified approach to building stronger physical and health outcomes.
- Improved efficiencies in sharing of resources between agencies.
- Greater communication and awareness about the power of sport and physical activity to deliver social inclusion.
- Increased research and innovation projects in inclusive sport
