By Disability Sports Australia Media Team
Disability Sports Australia and members release Play Well Participation Plan
Disability Sports Australia (DSA) and its members have released the Disability Sports Australia Play Well Participation Plan 2026–2029, outlining a shared national approach to strengthening grassroots sport participation for people with disability.
Aligned with the Australian Sports Commission’s Play Well Participation Strategy, the plan provides a framework for how DSA and its member organisations will work together to improve participation opportunities, strengthen capability across sport, increase visibility and representation, and build a stronger evidence base for disability sport participation nationally.
The plan was developed through consultation with DSA members across Australia and reflects the diversity of roles, sports and approaches across its membership.
Participating organisations included: Western Australia Disabled Sports Association, Wheelchair Sports NSW/ACT, Sporting Wheelies Queensland, One Culture, Rebound WA, Paraquad Tasmania, Australian Powerchair Hockey Association, Australian Powerchair Football Association, NSW Powerchair Football Association, Cerebral Palsy Sporting and Recreation Association and Disability Sport and Recreation.
Disability Sports Australia CEO Ayden Shaw said the plan recognises both the complexity of the disability sport landscape and the shared responsibility to improve participation outcomes for people with disability.
“Disability sport in Australia has never been built by one organisation alone,” Shaw said.
“For more than 65 years, Disability Sports Australia, its predecessor organisations and its members have helped shape disability sport across the country.
“Our members have different roles and responsibilities, many of which have evolved as disability sport and the broader sport system have changed. This plan acknowledges that complexity while identifying areas where we can work together to strengthen grassroots participation nationally.”
The Participation Plan identifies five priority areas from 2026–2029:
- Every Body in Sport, for Life
- Enabling Connection
- Building Capability Together
- Sharing Stories that Matter
- Building the Evidence Base
The plan includes a focus on:
- improving awareness of local sport opportunities for people with disability
- strengthening connections between sport, education, allied health and community services
- building the capability of sporting organisations to deliver inclusive participation opportunities
- increasing representation and visibility of disability sport
- improving participation data collection and sector-wide impact measurement
Western Australia Disabled Sports Association CEO Conor Mahady said the plan creates a stronger foundation for collaboration and long-term participation outcomes across the disability sport sector.
“This plan represents a critical step forward in aligning national ambition with state-level action,” Mahady said.
“The Play Well Participation Plan provides a shared framework to address these challenges, bringing governments, sport and the disability sector together to build a more connected, capable and inclusive system.
“At WADSA, we see this as a genuine opportunity to strengthen access and ensure participation in sport and recreation becomes a lifelong, achievable outcome for people with disability.”
The Disability Sports Australia Play Well Participation Plan 2026–2029 is available here:
ENDS
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 more than 65 years, DSA and its predecessor organisations have helped shape disability sport across Australia. Today DSA works with its members, sporting organisations, governments, clubs and communities to increase participation opportunities for people with disability and strengthen how sport is delivered nationally.
