The Equality Act (2010) sets out the legal requirements that every private, public, or voluntary organisation must adhere to, to ensure that people are treated equally and not discriminated against because of a particular characteristic.
The Act is in place to ensure equal opportunities for all, including those who participate or work and/or volunteer in a sport or physical activity setting.
The Act encourages community organisations to recognise the challenges faced by people with different protected characteristics (features or attributes of a person which should not be used to treat them less favourably), in order to develop a more inclusive and accessible organisation.
Community organisations by law are required to make adjustments to practices, policies and procedures so that everyone can access their offer.
Under the Act, discrimination, or unfair treatment of someone because of a particular characteristic is against the law. There are nine protected characteristics, which are:
It is the duty of community organisations to consider how they can make their offer, services and any facilities as accessible as possible to every individual regardless of these nine characteristics.
It’s important to understand the different types of discrimination, and be aware of what to look out for, when addressing instances of discrimination and adhering to the laws set out within the Act.
There are multiple forms of discrimination, including:
It's important for all community organisations, regardless of their size, to understand and apply the Act in their practices.
There are a number of practices that an organisation could implement to help them avoid discriminating against a person from a protected characteristic group, including:
Women are more likely to volunteer within sport than men, but they are less likely to participate themselves.
Many people with disabilities or long-term health conditions (LTHCs) want to be more active.
People over the age of 55 are much more likely to be inactive compared to younger adults.
Just over half of children and young people in England don’t meet the recommended exercise levels for their age group.
The fear of being bullied or of not being accepted can be a factor for LGBT+ people that choose not to ‘come out’ within the sports club or group they are part of.
One third of adults on low incomes are inactive.
People from diverse ethnic groups are less active than those from White or mixed groups.
The videos below explore why inclusivity is important, what it means to individuals and how clubs and groups can champion this.
The video starts with a black screen which fades in to show a girl holding a white card with the Buddle logo towards the top centre of the card, with the words ‘‘Include Me’ Video’ underneath in dark blue text. She is standing on a running track, with buildings and trees in the background. Other young people are visible behind her on the running track, talking to each other. Some ambient noise, including young people talking in the background of the shot, can be heard alongside the music. The backing track is quite slow and slightly downbeat. On the narrated version of the video, the words on each card are read out by a female voice.
The shot changes to a boy holding a card that says ‘Did you know?’. He is also standing on the running track with other young people, buildings and trees in the background.
The shot changes to a young man holding a card that says ‘29% of boys are part of sports clubs outside school, compared to 17% of girls.’. He is also standing on the running track with other young people, buildings and trees in the background. 29% and 17% are both in bold and underlined on the card.
The shot changes to a man holding a card that says ‘Low income families spend just £3.21 a week in total on active sport.’. He is also standing on the running track with young people, buildings and trees in the background. £3.21 is in bold and underlined on the card.
The shot changes to a boy holding a card that says ‘27% of people without a disability are sports club members….’. He is also standing on the running track with young people, buildings and trees in the background. 27% is in bold and underlined on the card.
The shot changes to a young man holding a card that says ‘…compared to only 15% of people with a disability.’. He is standing on the running track with young people, buildings and trees in the background. 15% is in bold and underlined on the card.
The shot changes to a girl holding a card that says ’13 million women and girls in England say they want to play more sport.’. She is standing on the running track with young people, buildings and trees in the background. 13 million is in bold and underlined on the card. The girl looks down at the card then looks back up at the camera.
The shot changes to a man holding a card that says ‘Almost half of LGBT+ people find the culture around sport intimidating or unwelcoming.’. He is also standing on the running track with young people, buildings and trees in the background. The words ‘intimidating’ and ‘unwelcoming’ are both in bold and underlined on the card.
The shot changes to a boy holding a card that says ‘A high proportion of people from ethnically diverse communities…’. He is standing on the running track with young people, buildings and trees in the background.
The shot changes to a girl holding a card that says ‘…have experienced discrimination in sport.’. She is also standing on the running track with young people, buildings and trees in the background. The word ‘discrimination’ is in bold and underlined on the card. She looks down at the card and then back at the camera.
The shot changes to a boy holding a card that says ‘If I joined a sports club or group, I might worry that…’. He is standing on a sports pitch, with some line markings visible. Behind him, a group of young people are talking to each other, playing games and running around. There are trees, a goal and floodlights in the background.
The shot changes to another boy holding a card that says ‘I won’t be accepted for who I am…’. He is also standing on the pitch with other young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to another boy holding a card that says ‘…or because I am different to other people there.’. He is also standing on the pitch with other young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to another boy holding a card that says ‘I won’t fit in’. He is also standing on the pitch with other young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to a girl, who is standing on a sports pitch, she looks to her left as a group of young people walk past behind her. She looks back to the camera and holds up a card that says ‘I’ll be judged.’. The other young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to a man holding a card that says ‘I might not be good enough…’. He is also standing on the sports pitch with young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to a boy holding a card that says ‘…or other people will be better than me’. He is also standing on the sports pitch with other young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to a girl holding a card that says ‘Nobody will want me on their team.’ She is also standing on the sports pitch with other young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to a boy holding a card that says ‘I might get singled out if I mess up.’. He is also standing on the sports pitch with other young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to a young man holding a card that says ‘People might laugh at me.’. He is also standing on the sports pitch with other young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to another boy, who is standing on the sports pitch. The card he is holding slips through his fingers on one side as he lifts it up and he catches it. The card says ‘I’m not athletic’. Other young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to a girl holding a card that says ‘I might be the only girl.’. She is standing on the sports pitch with a group of young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to a man holding a card that says ‘The club might be too competitive.’. He is also standing on the sports pitch with young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to a young man, also on the sports pitch, who brings his card up and holds it. The card says ‘They might not make an effort to welcome me…’. Trees and floodlights can be seen in the background.
The shot changes to a girl holding a card that says ‘…or I might be ignored or left out’. She is standing on the sports pitch with some young people sitting in a group behind her. Trees, a goal post and floodlights are visible. The screen fades out to black. The backing track and ambient noise also fade out with the screen.
The screen is black and there is no audio for a few seconds, before a new track begins. The ambient noise resumes and the screen fades in to show a boy standing on an outdoor basketball court with other young people, basketball goals and trees in the background. The boy is smiling and holding a card that says ‘When I am included…I feel safe.’. The new music track is happier and more upbeat than the previous track.
The shot changes to another boy who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘I feel happy and excited.’. He is also standing on an outdoor basketball court with other young people, basketball goals and trees in the background.
The shot changes to a girl who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘I enjoy myself and have fun.’. She is also standing on an outdoor basketball court with other young people, basketball goals and trees in the background.
The shot changes to a man who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘I gain confidence and can be the best version of me.’. He is also standing on an outdoor basketball court with r young people, basketball goals and trees in the background.
The shot changes to a boy who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘I feel like people support me and care about me.’. He is also standing on an outdoor basketball court with other young people, basketball goals and trees in the background.
The shot changes to a girl who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘I get a sense of belonging...’. She is also standing on an outdoor basketball court with other young people, basketball goals and trees in the background.
The shot changes to a man who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘…and I feel like part of a community.’. He is also standing on an outdoor basketball court with young people, basketball goals and trees in the background.
The shot changes to a girl who is standing in an activity studio, which has a mirrored wall on the right. She is smiling and holding a card that says ‘Inclusion matters to me because…’.
The shot changes to a boy who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘It means people feel safe and supported.’ He is also standing in the activity studio.
The shot changes to a girl who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘It means nobody gets left out.’ She is also standing in the activity studio.
The shot changes to a man who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘It means you can meet people from different backgrounds.’ He is also standing in the activity studio.
The shot changes to a boy who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘It means everyone can be part of a team.’ He is also standing in the activity studio.
The shot changes to a girl who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘It means people can feel comfortable, no matter what.’ She is also standing in the activity studio.
The shot changes to a boy who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘It means sport is available for all….’ He is also standing in the activity studio.
The shot changes to another boy who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘…because we are all equal.’ He is also standing in the activity studio.
The shot changes to a girl standing on an outdoor basketball court surrounded by trees. She is smiling and holding a card that says ‘To help me feel included, clubs and groups should…’.
The shot changes to a boy who is smiling. He is also standing on the outdoor basketball court, and holds up a card that says ‘Find ways to reach me.’. The words ‘reach me’ are in bold and underlined.
The shot changes to a man who is also standing on the outdoor basketball court. He is smiling and holding up a card that says ‘Make sure they hear me.’. The words ‘hear me’ are in bold and underlined.
The shot changes to a girl who is also on the outdoor basketball court. She is smiling and holding up a card that says ‘Welcome me and help me find my place.’. The words ‘Welcome me’ are in bold and underlined.
The shot changes to a man who is also on the outdoor basketball court. He is smiling and holding up a card that says ‘Work to support me.’. The words ‘support me’ are in bold and underlined.
The shot changes to a young man who is also on the outdoor basketball court. He is smiling and holding up a card that says ‘Show me the value me.’. The words ‘value me’ are in bold and underlined.
The shot changes to a boy who is also standing on the outdoor basketball court. He is smiling and holding up a card that says ‘Think about how they can keep me.’. The words ‘keep me’ are in bold and underlined.
The shot changes to a young man who is also on the outdoor basketball court. He is smiling and holding up a card that says ‘Let’s work together to make this better.’. The word ‘together’ is in bold and underlined.
The screen changes to white and the Buddle logo appears in the top centre of the screen. At the bottom of the screen, the Sport England and National Lottery logos appear. In between, the text ‘For more information, visit’ appears with links to the Buddle website (www.thebuddle.co.uk) and Sport England website (www.sportengland.org) underneath. The music fades out as the video ends.
The video starts with a black screen which fades in to show a girl holding a white card with the Buddle logo towards the top centre of the card, with the words ‘‘Include Me’ Video’ underneath in dark blue text. She is standing on a running track, with buildings and trees in the background. Other young people are visible behind her on the running track, talking to each other. Some ambient noise, including young people talking in the background of the shot, can be heard alongside the music. The backing track is quite slow and slightly downbeat. On the narrated version of the video, the words on each card are read out by a female voice.
The shot changes to a boy holding a card that says ‘Did you know?’. He is also standing on the running track with other young people, buildings and trees in the background.
The shot changes to a young man holding a card that says ‘29% of boys are part of sports clubs outside school, compared to 17% of girls.’. He is also standing on the running track with other young people, buildings and trees in the background. 29% and 17% are both in bold and underlined on the card.
The shot changes to a man holding a card that says ‘Low income families spend just £3.21 a week in total on active sport.’. He is also standing on the running track with young people, buildings and trees in the background. £3.21 is in bold and underlined on the card.
The shot changes to a boy holding a card that says ‘27% of people without a disability are sports club members….’. He is also standing on the running track with young people, buildings and trees in the background. 27% is in bold and underlined on the card.
The shot changes to a young man holding a card that says ‘…compared to only 15% of people with a disability.’. He is standing on the running track with young people, buildings and trees in the background. 15% is in bold and underlined on the card.
The shot changes to a girl holding a card that says ’13 million women and girls in England say they want to play more sport.’. She is standing on the running track with young people, buildings and trees in the background. 13 million is in bold and underlined on the card. The girl looks down at the card then looks back up at the camera.
The shot changes to a man holding a card that says ‘Almost half of LGBT+ people find the culture around sport intimidating or unwelcoming.’. He is also standing on the running track with young people, buildings and trees in the background. The words ‘intimidating’ and ‘unwelcoming’ are both in bold and underlined on the card.
The shot changes to a boy holding a card that says ‘A high proportion of people from ethnically diverse communities…’. He is standing on the running track with young people, buildings and trees in the background.
The shot changes to a girl holding a card that says ‘…have experienced discrimination in sport.’. She is also standing on the running track with young people, buildings and trees in the background. The word ‘discrimination’ is in bold and underlined on the card. She looks down at the card and then back at the camera.
The shot changes to a boy holding a card that says ‘If I joined a sports club or group, I might worry that…’. He is standing on a sports pitch, with some line markings visible. Behind him, a group of young people are talking to each other, playing games and running around. There are trees, a goal and floodlights in the background.
The shot changes to another boy holding a card that says ‘I won’t be accepted for who I am…’. He is also standing on the pitch with other young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to another boy holding a card that says ‘…or because I am different to other people there.’. He is also standing on the pitch with other young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to another boy holding a card that says ‘I won’t fit in’. He is also standing on the pitch with other young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to a girl, who is standing on a sports pitch, she looks to her left as a group of young people walk past behind her. She looks back to the camera and holds up a card that says ‘I’ll be judged.’. The other young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to a man holding a card that says ‘I might not be good enough…’. He is also standing on the sports pitch with young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to a boy holding a card that says ‘…or other people will be better than me’. He is also standing on the sports pitch with other young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to a girl holding a card that says ‘Nobody will want me on their team.’ She is also standing on the sports pitch with other young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to a boy holding a card that says ‘I might get singled out if I mess up.’. He is also standing on the sports pitch with other young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to a young man holding a card that says ‘People might laugh at me.’. He is also standing on the sports pitch with other young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to another boy, who is standing on the sports pitch. The card he is holding slips through his fingers on one side as he lifts it up and he catches it. The card says ‘I’m not athletic’. Other young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to a girl holding a card that says ‘I might be the only girl.’. She is standing on the sports pitch with a group of young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to a man holding a card that says ‘The club might be too competitive.’. He is also standing on the sports pitch with young people, a goal, trees and floodlights visible in the background.
The shot changes to a young man, also on the sports pitch, who brings his card up and holds it. The card says ‘They might not make an effort to welcome me…’. Trees and floodlights can be seen in the background.
The shot changes to a girl holding a card that says ‘…or I might be ignored or left out’. She is standing on the sports pitch with some young people sitting in a group behind her. Trees, a goal post and floodlights are visible. The screen fades out to black. The backing track and ambient noise also fade out with the screen.
The screen is black and there is no audio for a few seconds, before a new track begins. The ambient noise resumes and the screen fades in to show a boy standing on an outdoor basketball court with other young people, basketball goals and trees in the background. The boy is smiling and holding a card that says ‘When I am included…I feel safe.’. The new music track is happier and more upbeat than the previous track.
The shot changes to another boy who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘I feel happy and excited.’. He is also standing on an outdoor basketball court with other young people, basketball goals and trees in the background.
The shot changes to a girl who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘I enjoy myself and have fun.’. She is also standing on an outdoor basketball court with other young people, basketball goals and trees in the background.
The shot changes to a man who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘I gain confidence and can be the best version of me’. He is also standing on an outdoor basketball court with r young people, basketball goals and trees in the background.
The shot changes to a boy who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘I feel like people support me and care about me.’. He is also standing on an outdoor basketball court with other young people, basketball goals and trees in the background.
The shot changes to a girl who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘I get a sense of belonging...’. She is also standing on an outdoor basketball court with other young people, basketball goals and trees in the background.
The shot changes to a man who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘…and I feel like part of a community’. He is also standing on an outdoor basketball court with young people, basketball goals and trees in the background.
The shot changes to a girl who is standing in an activity studio, which has a mirrored wall on the right. She is smiling and holding a card that says ‘Inclusion matters to me because…’.
The shot changes to a boy who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘It means people feel safe and supported.’ He is also standing in the activity studio.
The shot changes to a girl who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘It means nobody gets left out.’ She is also standing in the activity studio.
The shot changes to a man who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘It means you can meet people from different backgrounds.’ He is also standing in the activity studio.
The shot changes to a boy who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘It means everyone can be part of a team.’ He is also standing in the activity studio.
The shot changes to a girl who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘It means people can feel comfortable, no matter what.’ She is also standing in the activity studio.
The shot changes to a boy who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘It means sport is available for all….’ He is also standing in the activity studio.
The shot changes to another boy who is smiling and holding a card that says ‘…because we are all equal.’ He is also standing in the activity studio.
The shot changes to a girl standing on an outdoor basketball court surrounded by trees. She is smiling and holding a card that says ‘To help me feel included, clubs and groups should…’.
The shot changes to a boy who is smiling. He is also standing on the outdoor basketball court, and holds up a card that says ‘Find ways to reach me.’. The words ‘reach me’ are in bold and underlined.
The shot changes to a man who is also standing on the outdoor basketball court. He is smiling and holding up a card that says ‘Make sure they hear me.’. The words ‘hear me’ are in bold and underlined.
The shot changes to a girl who is also on the outdoor basketball court. She is smiling and holding up a card that says ‘Welcome me and help me find my place.’. The words ‘Welcome me’ are in bold and underlined.
The shot changes to a man who is also on the outdoor basketball court. He is smiling and holding up a card that says ‘Work to support me.’. The words ‘support me’ are in bold and underlined.
The shot changes to a young man who is also on the outdoor basketball court. He is smiling and holding up a card that says ‘Show me the value me.’. The words ‘value me’ are in bold and underlined.
The shot changes to a boy who is also standing on the outdoor basketball court. He is smiling and holding up a card that says ‘Think about how they can keep me.’. The words ‘keep me’ are in bold and underlined.
The shot changes to a young man who is also on the outdoor basketball court. He is smiling and holding up a card that says ‘Let’s work together to make this better.’. The word ‘together’ is in bold and underlined.
The screen changes to white and the Buddle logo appears in the top centre of the screen. At the bottom of the screen, the Sport England and National Lottery logos appear. In between, the text ‘For more information, visit’ appears with links to the Buddle website (www.thebuddle.co.uk) and Sport England website (www.sportengland.org) underneath. The music fades out as the video ends.
Being welcoming and inclusive is a feature of many successful community sports clubs, groups and organisations.
Offering a positive experience for all participants and volunteers regardless of ethnicity, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, financial situation or ability benefits both your organisation and the people involved with it.
When referring to organisation we mean any community club, group or organisation that is involved in the delivery of physical activity or sport.
Promoting inclusivity and celebrating diversity throughout your organisation can support growth and sustainability by maximising your membership base and volunteer workforce.
Creating and promoting an inclusive environment can help you to attract new people, as well as encourage existing participants and volunteers to stay with your organisation for longer.
People may also become more likely to recommend your organisation to others.
Research has shown that some groups are less likely than others to be participate and volunteer in sport and physical activity.
The below section gives an overview of different groups with some helpful links, as well as advice on how you can find out more about the community your organisation is part of.
There is wide mix of ethnic groups in England. However, it’s really important to remember that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to getting people from different backgrounds participating or volunteering in sport and activity.
Read moreLots of different factors can impact this, including cultural norms and experiences of racism.
HideOrganisations can play a role in building positive attitudes towards sport and physical activity for children and young people (CYP).
Read moreWhile motivations for taking part in sport and activity can change for young people in their teens, inequalities within this group exist – girls and CYP from low income families are less likely to be active.
HideThere are approximately 11.5 million people with a disability in England, and not all disabilities are visible.
Read moreResearch by the Activity Alliance shows that four out of five would like to do more sport and activity and are often motivated by looking after their health.
However, only 32% feel that sport is ‘for someone like them’.
HideOne fifth of the population has a long-term health condition.
Read moreThis can make it difficult to be active, but 69% of this group would like to do more.
HideSport England’s yearly Active Lives Survey shows that people on lower incomes and people from lower income families are more likely to be inactive.
Read more HideA key part of being inclusive is ensuring everybody feels safe and comfortable to be themselves.
Read moreNegative attitudes towards LGBT+ people are sadly still present in society and sport.
However your organisation can work to ensure that nobody has to hide a part of themselves by emphasising inclusivity through every aspect of your operations.
HideAcross almost every age group, females are less likely to do sport and physical activity than males.
Read moreWomen and girls have different motivations and challenges when it comes to taking part in sport and physical activity.
Younger girls, for example, are influenced a lot by their families getting involved, whereas teenage girls are often motivated to join sports organisations for social reasons.
HideResearch shows that our population is an ageing one, with the Office for National Statistics predicting that 20m people will be aged 60 or over by 2030.
Read moreResearch from Sport England also shows that you are more likely to become inactive as you get older.
This can be for a range of reasons, some linked to health but also to increased work or caring commitments.
Hide
Here are some ways to help you get cash for your club.
How to benefit from diversity and provide for the different groups of people that want to get active. Which is, well, everyone!
Find out more about creating welcoming and inclusive environments, connecting with your community and diversifying your offer.
Consider whether you already understand the make-up of your people regarding their demographic group, financial situation and background.
If not, this is a good place to start as it will help you identify any gaps in your offer or groups that might currently be under-represented.
To do this you can review existing membership or joining documentation to help you collect this information, or send out a survey for people to fill in.
If you choose to do this, remember that it's important to use sensitive and appropriate language, and have secure data handling procedures in place.
Review your existing activities, communications and facilities to understand how inclusive and accessible your organisation is currently.
Do the images you use in your marketing favour any particular groups? Do you celebrate diversity-related events, like Pride or Black History Month?
Accessibility can also encompass physical considerations, like wheelchair access to facilities or the size of text used in marketing, as well as financial accessibility.
All of this can contribute to whether someone feels like your organisation is accessible for them and can meet their needs.
Find out more about the things that are most important for different groups.
You can use the next section of this page as a starting point and explore the helpful links we’ve included.
You can also invite participants and volunteers to share their views and needs – here's some guidance on understanding your people.
This will help you address the needs of your organisation’s existing people, as well as inform how you might become more inclusive for others in future.
Review any information and feedback you have been able to collect and use this to guide your next steps towards a more inclusive environment.
It might be valuable to develop an Action Plan to help you track changes, actions, outcomes, progress and responsibilities.
This can help ensure your committee and wider volunteer workforce are aware of and part of the organisation’s commitment to inclusivity.
Sharing this with your members and participants will also help to showcase your intentions and may also help you recruit extra people to help drive this forward.
Reviewing your practices and key documents can help to ensure inclusivity is central to how you run your organisation.
This should extend from your committee across your activities, communications, and any documentation such as membership forms.
It should also be reflected in how your organisation encourages and celebrates diversity, as well as challenges negative behaviour.
Some organisations in the sector offer training courses on inclusivity.
Courses might explore core principles of inclusivity, or focus on understanding and addressing the needs of specific groups, such as disability awareness courses.
By supporting your workforce to complete such training, you can better prepare your organisation to champion diversity, accessibility and inclusivity effectively.
You could track this learning and development within your Action Plan, if you choose to use one.
Where possible, find ways to encourage and recruit people from different age groups and backgrounds to get involved in the running of your organisation.
This helps to encourage diversity of thought, by having people with different views and life experiences working together.
It also supports the development of a more representative workforce and committee, allowing people to see others ‘like them’ in volunteering positions, contributing to a positive experience.
Use positive, inclusive language, messaging and imagery in all your external or internal marketing and comms.
Ensuring that people can see others like them reflected in messaging and images can make your organisation feel more relatable and accessible.
Additionally, if you decide to review diversity and inclusivity at your organisation, why not share the results in your communications to make people aware of the steps you’re taking?
You should also think about accessibility in terms of the platforms and formats you use to promote your organisation, so you can reach people effectively.
Some organisations have very specific audiences or purposes, which might mean they are less accessible to some groups.
For example, not all organisations are able to offer junior sections.
If this is the case, make sure you are as open, helpful and friendly as possible with those who might be interested in joining but aren’t able to.
If you can’t cater for a certain group, try to signpost people to other clubs or groups that do, or to organisations that might know more.
We've put together the below information to help organisations understand some of the small changes they can make to help ensure their offer is as inclusive as possible.
Reasonable adjustments refer to changes, modifications or accommodations that an organisation should make to ensure that opportunities to participate, volunteer or spectate are accessible to all, particularly those with different needs.
Making adjustments will help to eliminate barriers and provide equal opportunities, helping to create inclusive and accessible organisations.
Sport England’s Uniting the Movement strategy recognises the importance of creating inclusive opportunities to ensure that everyone can access sport and physical activity, and the benefits involvement can bring.
Making reasonable adjustments is not only desirable for member satisfaction and engagement, but also a legal requirement under the Equality Act 2010.
The Act requires organisations to make reasonable adjustments to the services and activities that they offer so that everyone, including those from protected characteristic groups, can access them.
Reasonable adjustments can include making alterations to a facility or the equipment provided, but also the policies, procedures, training of volunteers and communication methods used.
In line with the Act, an organisation shouldn’t just respond to issues, challenges, or barriers as they arise, but be proactive and plan in advance to make any adjustments to the offer which has the potential to impact on a person’s ability to engage in any capacity.
Hosting discussions with the organisation’s intended audience is a positive approach in ensuring their needs can be met from the outset. This will also offer the opportunity to introduce an organisation to new people and promote an inclusive and welcoming message.
Determining what is reasonable isn’t defined within the Equalities Act 2010, and determining what is reasonable will vary depending on a number of things including: the size of an organisation, the resources available, and the impact that making a change will have on an individual’s ability to access opportunities.
It’s important that any adjustments are made on an individual basis and consider the specific needs and preferences of each person.
This approach will help to provide equal opportunities whilst respecting the independence and dignity of individuals.
The aim of making these adjustments is to identify and implement changes that are effective in removing barriers.
It’s equally important to ensure that spectating is accessible and inclusive for family or friends who may want to support a participant.
When planning what adjustments are reasonable and should be made, organisations are strongly encouraged consult and get the perspective of the individuals that will benefit.
Individuals can also request that adjustments are made, to ensure that opportunities available are as close to the standard which people are usually offered.
Reasonable adjustments can take various forms, depending on individual needs and the existing provision of an organisation. Examples of reasonable adjustments may include:
Find out how Chelsea Handball Club has been able to develop an inclusive culture by rethinking their approach and identifying shared values.
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