From Empathy to Action: Practical Strategies for Disability Inclusion Through Movement and Sport

Session Description

Schools are increasingly focused on creating environments where every student feels seen, valued and included. Yet many educators continue to ask the same question: how do we move beyond awareness and create genuine, lasting change? This interactive workshop shares the journey of the Freedom Sports Foundation, a disability-led charity that has engaged more than 10,500 students across 39 schools through inclusive sport and lived experience education. Delivered by wheelchair athletes and parents with lived experience of disability, Freedom's programs challenge perceptions, build empathy and create meaningful opportunities for students to experience inclusion in action. Through wheelchair AFL, wheelchair basketball, boccia and facilitated discussion, students gain a deeper understanding of accessibility, resilience, leadership and belonging. Participants will explore how movement and sport can be powerful vehicles for inclusion, wellbeing and social connection. Through real-world case studies, student feedback, practical activities and implementation examples, delegates will gain strategies they can immediately apply within HPE, wellbeing and whole-school settings. The session will also explore how schools can create sustainable pathways beyond a single event by partnering with community organisations, engaging lived-experience educators and embedding inclusion into everyday practice. Attendees will leave with practical tools, fresh perspectives and a framework for turning disability inclusion from a one-off activity into a culture of belonging that benefits every student.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will:
• Understand how experiential learning influences student attitudes towards disability and inclusion.
• Explore practical strategies for embedding inclusion within HPE, wellbeing and school culture.
• Recognise the value of lived experience leadership in educational settings.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen school-community partnerships that support participation and belonging.
• Leave with practical activities and ideas that can be implemented immediately within their school or organisation.

Curriculum Level

Other

Keywords

Inclusion, Leadership, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Student Engagement

Presentation Type

Practical Workshop
D
15