DISABLED children must be given equal access to school sport, Britain’s Paralympians have told Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The 2024 Paralympic Games closed in Paris on Sunday evening with British athletes finishing second in the medal table with 124.
Throughout the 11-day competition, athletes including Hannah Cockroft have made the “equals” sign in support of the Equal Play campaign, as they seek to ensure disabled children are not left on the sidelines in school sport.
The ParalympicsGB team have now written to the Prime Minister to call for action.
“Over the last 11 days at Paris 2024, the ParalympicsGB team have been energised by the incredible support from the UK public, both back home and at the venues where British fans were loud and proud,” the letter said.
“As Paralympians, and as disabled people, we are more determined than ever to use this platform to do all we can to prevent the next generation of children being left on the sidelines in the birthplace of the Paralympic movement.”
A ParalympicsGB study found only one in four disabled children regularly took part in school sport.
“There are 1.5 million disabled children — 15 per cent of the school population — and it is shocking that such a large number of young people do not have the chance to participate in sport and develop and grow as a result,” the letter continued.
“We are heartened by your support for the Equal Play campaign and we are asking you to act now to ensure every child has the same access to PE at school. Your government has a unique opportunity to shift the dial so that by the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games, no disabled child faces this discrimination.”
The letter calls on the government to give teachers the right tools and understanding to deliver truly inclusive physical education at school, and adapt teacher training to give the next generation the skills and confidence to make the subject more inclusive.
Paralympians want PE’s place and importance within the curriculum to be treated as a higher priority, and also to increase the number of disabled people joining the teaching profession.
The team said they were “ready” to work with the government on this matter.
