By Disability Sports Australia Media Team
Disability Sports Australia calls for sustained investment in grassroots sport as NDIS changes reshape community participation
Disability Sports Australia acknowledges Minister Butler’s announcement yesterday on the future of the NDIS as a significant moment for grassroots sport, while calling on government to ensure The Inclusive Communities Fund is designed to build genuine and, sustained capability across community sport.
In a notable shift, sport was named directly in yesterday’s announcement, recognised alongside arts groups and community organisations as part of the infrastructure that needs to be accessible to people with disability. That raises the bar for what the fund must deliver.
Yesterday’s announcement confirmed that up to 160,000 people are expected to transition out of the NDIS by 2028. Many of those people will want to remain active in their communities and have access to activities including sport through community settings rather than individualised funding.
However, the vast majority of community settings are not equipped to absorb a transition of that scale.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Disability Sports Australia, Ayden Shaw said:
“Participation does not happen by chance. It happens in environments built to support it — clubs with the capability to include, coaches who feel equipped, and local opportunities that are visible and accessible. Right now, that capability is inconsistent across Australia. The Inclusive Communities Fund must address that directly, or we risk a transition that leaves people further behind.”
Disability Sports Australia is calling on the Federal government to ensure the inclusive communities fund prioritises genuine capability building in grassroots sport, not just access or one-off participation opportunities.
The fund must provide sustained, systemic investment. It must allow clubs, coaches and community organisations to build inclusion into how they operate over time.
The Inclusive Communities Fund must have clear outcome measures to safeguard participation for people with disability and hold the system accountable for results.
Central to this is ensuring the fund builds the capability of mainstream sport to be genuinely inclusive, so people with disability have real choice about where and how they take part, not limited to separate or disability-specific programs.
Specialist disability sporting organisations play a critical role in this system. Their expertise in delivering sport for people with disability, including understanding equipment, support needs and inclusive practice, remains fundamental to participation outcomes and often provides the first point of connection to sport.
Without that investment, people exiting the NDIS risk disengaging from community life entirely, placing greater pressure on health, mental health and crisis systems.
DSA’s submission to the Review of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, lodged in October 2025, identifies the systemic barriers that prevent people with disability from taking part in sport and calls for proactive obligations on sporting organisations to eliminate discrimination and build inclusion.
The case for sustained investment in grassroots sport capability is not new. It is backed by evidence, by law, and by the lived experience of people with disability across Australia.
The stakes extend beyond the immediate transition. With Brisbane 2032 on the horizon, Australia has an opportunity to build a participation legacy that exists in local communities, not just elite pathways or major events.
In the past year, more than 3,300 people with disability took part in sport through DSA initiatives across 137 schools and 50 local events nationally.
This is the work the inclusive communities fund should be designed to support.
Disability Sports Australia and a number of its members will also be working together to develop a position on Foundational Supports and the role of grassroots sport within the framework.
Media contact:
CEO
Disability Sports Australia
About Disability Sports Australia:
Disability Sports Australia (DSA) is a national non-profit, registered charity, and National Sporting Organisation for people with disability, dedicated to increasing participation in grassroots sport.
For over 60 years, DSA has been at the forefront of disability sport in Australia, starting with wheelchair sports and continually expanding opportunities for people with disability across the country. Today, DSA is disability-agnostic, focusing on building the capability of sports organisations to ensure inclusive and accessible opportunities for people with disability.
Our goal is to raise awareness of the positive impact sport can have, remove barriers to participation, and build a future where sport is inclusive for all Australians.
