It is important to ensure you sport’s facilities are accessible to everyone by using Universal Design principles to guide the design of new facilities or upgrades to existing facilities. This is common practice that is supported by both Local Government Authorities and the State Government. Through the Community Sports Infrastructure Fund, Sport and Recreation Victoria provides funding to Local Government Authorities and sports clubs to develop and design facilities, and every project must incorporate Universal Design principles.
Remember, this is not just about people with disability. Universal Design means designing for everyone!
Sport and Recreation Victoria has some useful resources, including their Design For Everyone Guide. Watch a video on Universal Design here.
Equitable use of facilities
You can also consider how your use and allocation of facilities creates an equal environment for people with disability. Some points to consider include:
- Share prime time access to your facilities across a range of teams and programs. This shows your sport treats everyone equally and values the participation of everyone. People with disability are likely to participate in various ways, including in current teams, in tailored programs or as individuals.
- Form a partnership with facility managers to activate spaces during off-peak times. While prime time access is important, you might find that some people are available during working hours which provides an opportunity to increase the usage of facilities.
- If you are hiring a venue for an activity of event check that it is accessible for people with disability before you go ahead.