Disability Legacy Plan: Giving an everlasting hope to Disability Sports

In a move to develop grassroots disability sports, encourage and increase participation and opportunities for the disabled people, Sport England has announced a donation of £1.5 million of the exchequer funding to the English Federation of Disability Sport and will make £2 million of targeted National Lottery Funding available by application to nine disability sport organizations including British Blind Sport, Mencap Sport, Wheelpower and Special Olympics.

Furthermore, over the next two years, Sport England will invest another £8 million in disability sports, meanwhile London 2012 and Arts Council England has awarded £400,000 to ten commissions by artists with a disability as part of arts, culture and sport by deaf people and disabled persons celebration.

The Minister for Disabled people and the Minister for the Olympics and Paralympics have seen the legacy as a positive move and have made their comments. Tessa Jowell, Minister for the Olympics and Paralympics stated:

“We want the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to showcase a Britain without barriers. By working to increase sports participation, improve employment opportunities amongst people with a disability and develop a greater appreciation of disability issues in society, our legacy plan for people with a disability aims to make a real difference to the way people with a disability live their lives everyday.

The backing of the International Paralympic Committee is recognition of the scale of our ambition and our determination to ensure the benefits of London 2012 live long beyond the Games. With this strategy we have developed blueprint for other host nations looking to deliver a lasting legacy for disabled people from the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

Jonathan Shaw, Minister for Disabled People said: 

“It is vital that disabled people benefit from the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented by the Games. It's the opportunity to make a real and lasting change, to showcase disabled people’s talents”.

More information

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