Access for All
Access for All Abilities Program
Access for All Abilities works to ensure a culture of inclusiveness and participation as well as access to sustainable, quality sport and recreation activities and facilities. It aims to promote positive community culture and values.
Getting involved in sport and recreation activities contributes significantly to our quality of life and leads to stronger and more active communities.
The Victorian Government is committed to creating more opportunities for all Victorians to get involved in physical activity. Through the Access for All Abilities (AAA) Program, the Government is building stronger sport and recreation environments which are inclusive of and accessible to people of all abilities.
The AAA Program aims to build the capacity of the sport and recreation sector to provide increased active participation opportunities for people of all abilities. The program achieves this through:
- A network of community–based organisations – AAA Program providers – who work at a local level to make the most of local opportunities;
- A partnership with the Victorian Network on Recreation and Disability (VICNORD). VICNORD actively engage, network and facilitate links and partnerships with the sport, recreation and disability sectors to advocate at a systemic level to increase and improve participation opportunities for people with a disability throughout Victoria;
- A Round Table on Inclusive Arts, Tourism, Sport and Recreation for People with a Disability. The Round Table brings together representatives from non-government organisations and State and Local Government to work together to improve opportunities in arts, tourism, sport and recreation for people with a disability.
Key objectives of the AAA Program include:
- Promoting awareness of the benefits of active participation;
- Providing support for inclusive sport and recreation environments;
- Influencing the planning and development of accessible and inclusive sport and recreation environments; and
- Fostering and developing partnerships to enhance access and inclusion in the sport and recreation sector.
Access for All Abilities Program Providers
The AAA Program supports a network of community-based organisations working at a local level to facilitate and promote inclusive and accessible sport and recreation organisations.
Program providers collaborate with local sports clubs, leisure facilities, recreation providers, state sporting associations and disability organisations to create new partnerships and connect Victorians of all abilities to local sporting and recreation activities.
AAA in action
Some examples of the work that AAA Program providers deliver: Leisure Link Up and the City of Casey have developed an Access for All Planner to establish inclusive sport and recreation opportunities. Both organisations now use this tool when working with selected sport and recreation clubs. The plan assists with determining goals and priorities relating to club roles, program activities and club facilities. The inclusion planner can increase participation and membership for people of all abilities in any local sport and recreation club.
Eastern Recreation and Leisure Services delivered the Sports Clinic Program involving children of all abilities aged 12 to 16 years to develop their sporting skills and get involved in local sports clubs. Free sports clinics were held over two days across the Eastern Metropolitan Region in the sports of soccer, cricket, basketball, archery, tennis and swimming. By involving local clubs in the delivery of activities at their sports facilities, the children developed friendships with representatives from local clubs, and some children are now participating in ongoing competition. A representative from a local club stated “the skill level was incredible; we will be encouraging these kids to come back again and star in our under 10's”.
A collaborative regional lawn bowls initiative between Brimbank City Council, Melton Shire Council and Moonee Valley City Council was enthusiastically supported by the three Specialist Schools and Lawn Bowls Clubs involved. The project involved a six week learn to bowl program with students from across the region coming together for a finale interschool carnival in Sunshine. The program is now active across the region and the local bowls clubs will continue to run an inclusive lawn bowls program for people with a disability.
Marie Russell, Coach at Melton Bowling Club said “This has been a joint effort between the club, school and the Access for All Abilities Program and I would encourage all clubs to think about what they could do to include people with a disability. “Not only do the participants benefit, our club benefits greatly too and there is plenty of
support available for club’s wanting to take this inclusive path”.
SWaD Squad (Swimmers With a Disability) is a swimming squad for people with a physical disability or chronic illness to improve their fitness and stroke technique as well as have a good time. The program runs from the City of Yarra's Fitzroy Swimming Pool and has people with a range of ages and abilities participating.
SWaD Squad was developed to assist and encourage people with a disability to become actively involved in the annual 24 Hour MS Mega Swim at the Fitzroy Pool. After being involved in the program, many swimmers felt confident and advanced enough to join in mainstream swim squads.
The Centre Active Recreation Network (CARN) in partnership with the Vikings Rugby League Club (VRLC) developed the project ‘Tackling Inclusion’ A Model for Sporting Clubs. The project increased opportunities for people of all abilities to actively participate in the club's governance, administration and physical activity programs. A key outcome of the project was the development of the guide: ‘Tackling Inclusion – A guide to expanding your club by including everyone’, a transferable, adaptable guide for use across all sporting and community groups. Due to its welcoming and supportive environment, VRLC experiences increased support and membership from people of all abilities into all areas of their inclusive club.
South West Sports Assembly (SWSA) has assisted in both the communication of resource opportunities available in the South West community and successfully obtaining funding and resource support from both government and private sectors for initiatives that support the development of facilities and services that are accessible. SWSA support has enabled the Port Fairy Yacht Club to develop an inclusive sailing program, purchase essential modified equipment and secure funding from Marine
Safety Victoria for the development of an accessible floating jetty. These initiatives support the growth of the Active Oceans program which provides accessible water based sport and recreation opportunities for people with a disability across the South West region of Victoria.
The development of an Inclusive Regional Basketball Program has been a significant long-term initiative of the Sports Focus AAA Program. Through implementation of a range of capacity building strategies, Sports Focus have engaged and built partnerships between stakeholders to create a sustainable basketball participation and competition pathway inclusive of people with a disability, delivered by local basketball clubs and associations. The project has created key outcomes including training of volunteers in inclusive practices and influencing other local sporting organisations to be inclusive. The program also resulted in Basketball Victoria Country Council hosting an annual AAA State Basketball Tournament and strengthening the sports charter to develop grassroots participation for all.
Get involved
To get involved in your local community or find out how you can make your club more inclusive contact the AAA Program Provider in your local area. View the list of AAA Program contacts 2007-08 (PDF 95 kb). Alternatively you can access contact details via the SRV Directory.
AAA Program brochure
The AAA Program brochure outlines the aim and key objectives of the AAA Program and provides information on the network of community based organisations (AAA Program providers) funded through the AAA Program to maximise local opportunities.
The publication is available in PDF AAA Program brochure 2007-08 (PDF 227 kb) and Word formats AAA Program brochure 2007-08 (DOC 114 kb)
Access for All Abilities Program Publications
A number of resources have been produced by Sport and Recreation Victoria, AAA Program Providers and recipients of the AAA Initiative Fund to support the program.
Access for All Abilities Program - Forums
Sport and Recreation Victoria conduct a number of forums each year to bring the AAA Program Providers and key partners together to share experiences and key learnings relating to projects that aim to increase active participation opportunities for people of all abilities.
Over 100 people attended the last AAA Forum conducted in August 2007. Attendees heard about the following projects which target young people of all abilities:
- The Steps Project – Using a camp experience to link people with mental health issues into local sport and recreation opportunities. Presented by Liz Leorke, Mental Health Access and Participation Director, YMCA;
- The Advance Project – Connecting young people with a disability who have participated in the Advance program to local sport and recreation opportunities. Presented by Michael Barca, Advance Coordinator, Croxton School; and
- Sport Clinics Program – Linking children with a disability access local sport and recreation opportunities through sports clinics. Presented by Kym O’Donaghue, Manager, Eastern Recreation and Leisure Services.
Round Table on Inclusive Arts, Tourism, Sport and Recreation for People with a Disability
The Round Table on Inclusive Arts, Tourism, Sport and Recreation for People with a Disabilitybrings together representatives from non-government organisations and State and Local Government to work together to improve opportunities in arts, tourism, sport and recreation for people with a disability.
Victorian Network on Recreation & Disability Department of Human Services – Disability Services Nucleus Group Disability Online National Information Communication Awareness Network (NICAN) Australian Sports Commission – Disability Sport This page contains downloadable documents. In order to view PDF documents you will require
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