Inclusion in Sport - Removing Barriers to Participation

We live in one of the most diverse countries in the world. Australia’s diverse communities need sporting options that celebrate diversity, promote inclusion, and most importantly, make people feel like they belong. 

A big step toward achieving this is for clubs to adopt an inclusive approach that harnesses the strengths of our diverse nation. This means both addressing social exclusion and actively creating and maintaining inclusive environments in which people can participate in ways that work for them. 

Research on the challenges and opportunities of inclusive sport practices shows evidence that:

• sport will continue to play an important role in promoting social inclusion, community and social health and wellbeing outcomes, positive values, and social and cultural harmony
• sports that will thrive in the future are those that best cater for culturally, gender, sexuality, age and ability diverse communities, and groups from varied socio-economic backgrounds
• individuals are making decisions on which sports and clubs to join based on their capacity to celebrate diversity and promote inclusion, have safe practices, and display integrity in all their actions and decisions
• the inclusion benefits of sport are not automatic; they require intentionality and constant work by dedicated people throughout sport

There are several key diverse groups within our society: 

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities
• LGBTQI+ communities
• people with disability, and
• individuals from low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds

There are many health and social inequalities for these diverse groups, and they often face heightened challenges and barriers to sport participation (both as players and in management and leadership). These barriers can be exacerbated if individuals are from low SES backgrounds. Recent research has suggested that the effects of COVID-19 have actually increased some of these health and social inequalities, creating an even stronger need to focus on diversity and inclusion in sport. 

There is also an 'intersectionality’ regarding the barriers people face – this means no two people are the same and people can face multiple forms of discrimination and multiple barriers to participation. Clubs and sports can address this by doing 'holistic’ inclusion work and considering how the various barriers people face may intersect or be cumulative, rather than doing isolated work in one area.

Indigenous Australians

Insights and Rates of Participation
Sport is important to many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, but overall, Indigenous Australians were almost twice as likely not to participate in physical activity than the non-Indigenous population. There are many benefits to sport participation that Indigenous Australians are not accessing to the fullest extent possible, which may contribute to higher risks of physical and mental health challenges. This is problematic given the demonstrated individual wellbeing and community benefits of Indigenous Australians’ participation in sport. Australian football in particular, is interwoven with Indigenous people’s social and political struggles in the modern Australian state which is largely governed by non-Indigenous peoples and values.

Barriers to participation
Indigenous Australians face many barriers to participation, some that are similar to the general population, like lack of time and financial costs, and some might be specific to some of these groups. It is very important to understand that these barriers might stem from, or be intensified by, the potential experiences of racism and discrimination. Some of the major barriers are:

• Feeling shy or embarrassed (e.g. about clothing requirements like bathers) or not being good enough
• Not valuing sport in the family and/or community
• Lack of visibility of Indigenous Australians in club culture and leadership
• Transport
• Experiences of racism
• Being considered talented players but not suited as leaders (institutional racism)
• Lack of access to sporting equipment or spaces outside organised sessions.

Strategies for inclusion and examples in practice
There are specific strategies that you can adopt to reduce or remove some of these barriers for Indigenous Australians:

• Prioritise participation and engagement over a focus on winning and performance. This will help to include people who feel like they are ‘not good enough’ to participate or play. Giving everyone equal playing time, access to fields or equipment, and concentrating on creating positive participation experiences, are ways to start.
• Create accreditation and coaching pathways, and support individuals to navigate through to leadership roles within clubs. These roles are visible to the broader community and create role models for Indigenous Australians, demonstrating that their community members are supported and valued not just as athletes, but as leaders.
• Consider the unique experiences and socio-cultural factors surrounding Indigenous Australians, and be respectful and understanding of them. This includes acknowledging the experienced racism, battles for recognition for identity and social acceptance, as well as the cultural and community connections, and meaning of sport (Australian football in particular) as a space where Indigenous players and members’ agency can be increased.   
• Develop new strategies and policies in partnership with Indigenous Australians, rather than for them. Having people involved in the decision making will ensure that their needs will be considered and met. When people are involved in decision making, and have opportunities for self-determination, they feel a sense of ownership of the process and the outcome, and will be more likely to engage.
• Provide a range of programs that would present ways for all family members to participate, ensuring they appeal to all genders and ages. This could be a team or league that allows people of varied skill levels and ages to play together, or a process for families to access equipment or spaces outside of regular organised sessions (e.g. like a ‘toy library’).

Cultural Diversity

Insights and Rates of Participation
Participating in sport is valuable and meaningful for everyone, and can have broader impact for Australia’s Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities. Sport participation can help newly arrived migrants to navigate the challenges of life in a new country, such as learning the language and building social relationships. Sometimes, sport can be a place where negative social stereotypes and barriers can be broken down and replaced with positive ones, leading to broader social harmony. 

Australia’s culturally diverse communities are not participating in sport as often as the broader Australian population. Women from CALD backgrounds in particular, were the least likely to participate in a sport or recreation activity in Australia. It is difficult to know the exact numbers of CALD communities who are participating in sport, because many groups might value, or prefer to play, informal or non-structured sport.

Barriers to participation
There are a considerable number of barriers that CALD communities face in sport participation in Australia. As with Indigenous Australian communities, a key factor to understand these barriers is to be aware of the potential experiences of racism that might underpin, or exacerbate, some of these barriers. Some major barriers are:

• Underlying inequalities in access (facility, equipment, not welcoming or safe)
• Lack of familiarity with organised sport structures and services
• Language and/or cultural barriers
• Lack of visibility, not reflected in club culture and leadership
• Limited family/cultural support for participation (especially for girls and women)
• Experiences of racism
• Transport
• Cost

Strategies for inclusion and examples in practice
It is important to develop tailored initiatives to promote participation in sport for culturally diverse communities. This will help to overcome some of the barriers listed above:

• Evaluating the cost of programs, memberships or other fees related to participation. Can fees be reduced or subsidised, maybe through targeted funding schemes or partnering with other organisations to share resources? Otherwise, is there an option to set aside equipment or spaces that can be borrowed for people to participate in your sport informally with little or no cost?
• Get to know your local communities because their needs might be different. You can communicate and consult local community leaders, or supporting existing participants to act as ‘diversity champions’ who can work with you to develop targeted and appropriate practices. Make sure that your social events, newsletters, or social media posts are culturally sensitive and appropriate (e.g. language is easy to understand, using diverse images and visual representations of messages), and showcase cultural diversity.
• Diversify sport role models and leadership structures. Ensuring your club or sport role models reflect the cultural diversity of your local community can help other culturally diverse communities feel welcome and valued within your sport. Diversity within your leadership structures, including coaching, management and committee roles, will be a big step in your commitment to diversity and inclusion. You might like to support existing participants to transition into leadership or role model positions, and support them to mentor others. 

LGBTQ+

Insights and Rates of Participation
The term LGBTQ+ is often used to refer to an individual’s identity in relation to their sexual orientation or gender. It is used to represent lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other identities. Discrimination based on these identities have been reported in sports for a long time, and homophobia and transphobia are still common in sport in Australia, with detrimental impact on health and wellbeing. 

Research indicates that 80% of Australian respondents reported experiencing or witnessing homophobia during their sport involvement. About half of gay men and lesbians reported being personally targeted by homophobia in sport, as did over a quarter of heterosexual males (a reminder that homophobia affects everyone). Many LGBTQI+ people don’t see sport as safe spaces where they can participate because of this continued prevalence of discrimination and hostility. There tends to be a low priority in addressing discrimination experienced by LGBTQ+ discrimination in sport. 

Barriers to participation

• Experiences of homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and other forms of discrimination and bullying
• Sport can reproduce masculine and heterosexual norms, making individuals feel like they do not belong
• Anxiety of ‘not fitting in’ or being judged
• Inappropriate facilities such as open changing rooms

Strategies for inclusion and examples in practice
LGBTQI+ communities are diverse and there are unique differences between the various groups. Participation needs might be diverse and varied.

• Understand the unique experiences and needs of your members and participants. As with other diverse groups, it is important to understand the different barriers, and ways to alleviate those barriers, for each group.
• Engage with local LGBTQI+ community groups for support and direction, and co-design policies and processes that focus on creating safe and welcoming spaces and experiences.
• Consider the adoption of non-gendered teams to provide a more flexible and inclusive way people can participate in sport.
• Complete the Pride in Sport Index for community clubs to ground your actions in best practice ideas and recommendations.

People with Disability

Insights and Rates of Participation
The concept of disability is complex; it has many dimensions, and there are many different ways of defining what disability is. The term disability involves a broad array of life factors such as having health conditions like cerebral palsy, or depression, and ranging to personal and environmental factors like limited social support. Disability is more common in marginalised communities that include people from low SES backgrounds, to women and older people. The most recent results show that almost 10% less adults who have disability participate in sport or physical activity than adults who do not have disability. Many more adults who have disability do not participate in any sort of physical activity than those who do not. 

Barriers to participation
A person’s disability isn’t always the major reason for not participating, and many who don’t participate express that they would like to, but other barriers like costs, transportation and accessibility present challenges to participation. There are variable levels of support needed for people with disability, and people with high support needs often face more constraints or have difficulty participating.

• Cost is often a major barrier, especially if there are extra costs associated with specialised transport, supervision or other related service needs
• Accessibility is also a major barrier; not just accessing the facility, but access in terms of finding out information about programs, feeling welcome to participate, availability of programs or sport opportunities suited to their needs
• Perceived lack of support

Strategies for inclusion and examples in practice

• Using appropriate language and following guidelines relating to words and images which help to shape community perceptions about disability. The way that we communicate about people with disability can help to shift community perceptions and support an overall sense of belonging. For example, see the resource A Way with Words – it is a guideline for the portrayal of people with disability developed by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act (AODA). The guide gives a great overview about the power of language, with principles, examples and a set of guidelines organisations can implement.
• Adopt collaborative approaches to service delivery and working with relevant organisations and community members, such as disability (sports) service providers, special schools, and disability advocacy groups.

Low Socio-Economic Status

Insights and Rates of Participation
SES stands for socio-economic status. It is a ranking which is used to refer to people’s income, education and employment status. Sport participation tends to increase with higher income levels, and individuals from low SES backgrounds often have fewer opportunities to access sporting facilities. Some individuals might live in neighbourhoods where safety is a concern, which limits their access to local play areas or grounds. Intersectionality is a term that helps us to understand the multiple interacting influences of different categories of identity, like ethnicity, gender, culture, social class, and age. These different combinations of identities can create unique modes of discrimination, which might exacerbate some of the complexities with SES. 

Barriers to participation

• Financial hardship (costs are not always a barrier, sometimes more pressing demands can be)
• Prioritising and demands on time, such as work and family commitments
• Maintaining participation, specifically if membership price increases with age or skill level
• Lack of perceived outcomes or pathways from engagement

Strategies for inclusion and examples in practice
Sport participation for low SES communities may be impacted by many different things. Sometimes, the cost of participation can be a barrier to only a small proportion of these communities, and constraints are more likely related to factors like lack of time, or lack of perceived value or interest. 

• Adopt collaborative approaches to service delivery and working with organisations and community members. Involve parents or guardians of children who are engaged with your sport, because parents often provide emotional support for their children’s participation. Offer information sessions or volunteering opportunities and other ways for parents to get involved with their children’s sport.
• Evaluate accessibility to facilities, for example, are opening hours limited? Does the facility have access to bicycle infrastructure for people who ride to reach you? Are there possibilities you can explore to offer subsidised memberships or fees for low SES communities?