A NEW partnership is hoping to create greater opportunities and support for disabled people in Scotland who are interested in sport.
Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) and the Motability Scheme have joined forces to try and make sport more accessible and inclusive in Scotland, letting people with disabilities know what opportunities are available to them.
This partnership hopes to bring light to the range of disability sports across Scotland, creating opportunities for these sports to be accessed by people with disabilities and their families.
This partnership also seeks to spread awareness of the Motability Scheme to the many Scots who could benefit from its provided independent mobility.
Furthermore, the Motability Scheme will become the title sponsor for SDS’s education and training programmes for primary and secondary teachers and their 2024 national events calendar.
Gavin MacLeod, the CEO of Scottish Disability Sports stated: “This partnership with the Motability Scheme represents an exciting opportunity to further our mission of promoting inclusion through sport.”
SDS has the vision of making sport in Scotland inclusive and welcome to everyone with disabilities.
Gavin added: “Together, we will work towards removing barriers that prevent disabled Scots from participating in sports and ensure that sporting opportunities are accessible to all.”
SDS already works closely with many local authorities and sport governing bodies throughout Scotland, overseeing and planning inclusive sporting activities.
Their education and training programmes involve workshops on vision impairment for many teachers in Scotland and their 2024 national events calendar offers championships and competition for people with disabilities across multiple sports.
These programmes and events have the Motability Scheme, provided by Motability Operations, as the title sponsor.
The Motability Scheme provides independent mobility to thousands of people with disabilities through car, scooter and wheelchair leases.
Gavin Thomson, managing director Scotland at Motability Operations stated: “The Motability Scheme breaks down barriers to mobility across Scottish society and we are thrilled to be working with Scottish Disability Sport to support, encourage and improve participation in sport.
“Sport has a unique capacity to bring groups together in an inclusive way and SDS’s values of inclusion, respect, integrity and ambition align perfectly with ours.
“We are both purpose-led organisations that exist to improve the everyday lives of disabled people.”
