Activity Alliance launches manifesto ahead of GE

Activity Alliance has launched its manifesto ahead of this year’s general election (GE), outlining a number of policy calls designed to ensure disabled people have equal access to sport and physical activity.

Titled Fight for fairness: Disabled people’s right to sport and physical activity, the manifesto was created by Activity Alliance – the national charity for disabled people in sport and activity – with contributions and insight from disabled people, advocates and organisations in the sport, physical activity, and voluntary sector.

“There are 16 million disabled people in the UK,” the organisation says. “Yet, disabled people face many barriers that can make it more challenging to access and take part in meaningful sport and physical activity. The GE, expected later this year, provides a crucial opportunity to ensure actions are taken to tackle the fairness gap. That is why we’ve launched our top asks for the next government and are writing to parliamentary candidates.”

The manifesto outlines three main asks:

1. Protect the benefits: Provide wider safeguarding to reassure disabled people that being regularly active will not threaten their benefits

2. Equip health and care workers: With the NHS, ensure that better processes are in place for health and care workers to support disabled people to use physical activity in ways which work best for them

3. Increase accessible outdoor spaces: Take a leading role in promoting and legislating design standards that ensure accessibility in local and national spaces.