Administrators - What to do now

As an administrator you can play an integral role in developing an inclusive culture within your club or sporting organisation. You are responsible for ensuring that the club has adopted a Member Protection Policy, or other policies that promote fair and inclusive participation, for example, a Disability Action Plan.

If a club member claims they have been discriminated against on the basis of disability:

• Understand that being discriminated against can be an everyday experience for people with disability. This is distressing and unfair.
• Keep an open mind about the issue and try to resolve their concerns. Get advice from your state or national sporting organisation or department for recreation and sport. There are resources to support clubs to include people with disability.
• Be prepared where possible to make adjustments to equipment and rules or other modifications (e.g., having an umpire use a handkerchief so a deaf player can understand their decisions). If you can’t include the person you should explain why. Make sure your reasons are valid (e.g., your club doesn’t have the funds to install a lift).
• Do not exclude a person with disability from participation (e.g., in teams, on committees, as coaches) just because of you or your clubs negative attitudes or stereotypes.
• Understand that if you ignore or dismiss the persons concerns they could take more formal action (e.g., complain to the next level of your sport or take their complaint to a federal or state anti-discrimination agency).