Sport Opportunity

The Sport Opportunity Advisor works with schools to ensure that they can cater for the physical activity and sporting needs of disabled people. They do this by:

No Exceptions Training

The No Exceptions Training packaged was developed by SPARC in conjunction with the Halberg Trust. Two hour training modules are delivered by the Sport Opportunity Advisory and trained presenters. Each session is free and includes: group discussions, brainstorms, handout, videos and practical activities. They are fun filled opportunities to share ideas and learn new ways to adapt and modify physical activity and sport to ensure disabled people are included. The best module for a school setting is Success in Schools

The purpose of the training is to:

Provide a national network of education and support for sport and physical activity providers.
Increase providers’ confidence, knowledge and skills.
Create better opportunities for a greater number of disabled people.

The Modules are:

Count me In – a general community sport and awareness training suitable for anyone and everyone interested or involved in the provision of sport and physical activity opportunities that include disabled people.

Success In Schools – a sport, physical education, and physical activity training focusing on the inclusion of young disabled people into school based sport, physical education and physical activity programmes.

Opening Doors for Disabled People – practical training that assists sport and recreation organisations to develop strategies to attract and retain disabled members.

Play by the Rules – training that helps sport and recreation organisations to understand and deal with issues of disability discrimination and meet their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1993.

Sporting Pathways – practical training that gives participants a basic understanding of the structure and pathways available in disability sport for disabled people, along with the knowledge of how to become involved. (This includes an introduction to the Paralympics New Zealand classification system and the Special Olympics New Zealand divisioning system.)

Inclusive Coaching – coach oriented training that enhances current knowledge and promotes the inclusion of disabled athletes

No Exception Action Plan

No Exceptions Action Plans are a strategic planning document to assist sport clubs, regional sports organisations, schools and community groups to become more inclusive of disabled people. They include: background of the organisation, strategies that support inclusion, statement about accessibility, role of the Sport Opportunity Advisor, funding (where appropriate), training, welcome and a list of initiatives to ensure more disabled people can participate in physical activity and sport.

The Sport Opportunity Advisor is available to work with you organisation to develop a plan to meet your individual needs

Attachment – School Template Plan

Interschool Sport Championships

For the past five years there have been events for disabled athletes in the Canterbury Primary, Intermediate and Secondary Inter School Athletics, Swimming and Cross Country Championships. These events within the championships have now spread to Aoraki and the West Coast regions.

Through this initiative disabled athletes have a opportunity the compete at sports championships along side their able bodied peers but competing against other disabled athletes.

At Secondary School level in Canterbury other championships that cater for the needs of disabled athletes include: Road Race, Petanque League and Soccer Leaque.

Using athletics championships as an example there have been a number of adaptations and modifications made to cater for the needs of disabled athletes. They are:

Classifications

• AWDWC – Athlete with Disability – Wheelchair. Students who use a wheelchair as the main means of movement.
• AWDPD – Athlete with Disability – Physical Disability. Students who have a disability, such as Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida or are amputees etc, who are disadvantaged when compared to able bodied students.
• AWDVI – Athlete with Disability – Vision Impairment. Students who are, or qualify to be, a member of the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind.
• AWDID – Athlete with Disability – Intellectual Disability. Students who are behind able bodied students in their intellectual functioning and therefore are entitled to 5 or more hours of teacher aide time per week.

Events and implement weights at Primary and Intermediate School Championships:

• 50m
• 100m
• Shot Put
• 9 and 10 years olds – Kiwi Shot - 500g
• 11 and 12 years olds – 1.375kg
• 13 years and older – 1.92kg
• Discus
• 9 and 10 year olds – Kiwi Ring
• 11 and 12 year olds – 500g
• 13 years and older – 750g

Events and implement weights at Secondary School Championships:

• 100m
• 200m
• 400m
• Shot Put
• AWDWC – Boys 3.0kg, Girls 1.92kg
• AWDPD, AWDVI and AWDID – Boys 4.0kg, Girls 3.0kg
• Discus
• All classifications 1kg

Halberg Trust Activity Fund

The Halberg Trust recognise that disabled children may have additional costs when participating in physical activity of sport due to their disability. This fund is available to individuals between the ages of 5 and 18 or 8 and 18 years old depending on the application to cover additional cost such as individual lessons or specialist equipment.

Unfortunately this fund is not available to assist with activities during school hours. It should be promoted to parents to enable their disabled children to be more active out of school hours.

 Halberg Trust Activity Fund Form

When applying for equipment the applicant must include a quote. When applying for individual lessons etc the applicant must include a personalised sports plan which needs to be filled in by the person who will be coaching the recipient. This plan identifies what the person can and can not do and how the coach will be working with them. The follow are a selection of plans and a template that can used for an additional sport.

Attachments - Selection of personalised sports plans