Australia is a nation of sports lovers. There’s no denying that! Our last article provided tips to help you plan a trip to the snow. This month, we look at the different sporting events people with disability can get involved with.
If you’re a person with disability looking to get a little more active as we approach spring, it may be worth checking out Disability Sports Australia (DSA). DSA is dedicated to enabling people with disability to be more active. You can look for a new sport you may like to try or find service providers that offer your favourite sport. Or you can use the NDSP National Referral Hub (NRH) to help you find a sporting club or activity right for you.
If you’re more a spectator than a participant, that’s ok too. You can enjoy your favourite game in many ways, whether you’re passionate about Premier League netball, Australian Football League (AFL) or the National Rugby League (NRL).
So, grab your favourite Guernsey, beanie and scarf and head out to cheer on your favourite team.
Supporting your favourite AFL team
With finals season underway, there are an exciting few weeks ahead. If your team made the finals, make sure you head to the ground to cheer them on!
Several clubs are leading the way in removing barriers and making AFL games accessible for all. St Kilda, Hawthorn and Geelong have sensory rooms at their home grounds. The quiet, dimly lit rooms allow families to escape from the noise and overwhelm of the crowd and sirens. This enables the family to remain at the game and enjoy the atmosphere in a calmer environment.
A sensory room is planned as part of the Docklands Stadium upgrade, and the AFL is considering sensory rooms for other venues.
The AFL website has a complete list of stadiums with links to each stadium for you to confirm accessibility features.
Cheering along at the NRL
As with AFL, finals fever is upon us. If your team is in the finals, Austadiums list each club’s home ground with links to the individual stadium.
If you’d like to play rugby league, the NRL All-abilities program runs competitions for all abilities.
Shooting for goals at netball
Though the Premier League season finished in August, there’s still an opportunity to support state-based competitions. If you’re in Victoria and not ready for the season to end yet, you can cheer on the teams in Netball Victoria’s State Finals, including mixed all-ability teams.
The finals are played from Friday, 30 September, to Sunday, 2 October, at the State Netball Centre, Parkville.
A-League saves you from winter sports withdrawal
If you suffer sports withdrawal over the summer off-season, don’t be sad! Football Australia has announced the A-League 2022/23 dates, starting in October. You can view the match calendar here. Austadiums list the match venues with links to each stadium to check accessibility.
