Two-time Paralympic champion Laura Sugar MBE joined a group of athletes, along with representatives from Paralympics GB and Channel 4, at a reception at the House of Parliament yesterday, to advocate for the Equal Play Campaign.
The campaign urges the government to increase its focus on improving access to Physical Education (PE) for children with disabilities in schools. Currently, only one in four disabled children participate in PE regularly.
“The minute I heard about the campaign, I was desperate to be a part of it because I have experienced the good and bad parts of PE. I’m a trained PE teacher, and I’ve worked in numerous different schools across the country throughout my teacher training and my coaching career.
I think the biggest thing is, it’s not the teacher’s fault. It’s wider than that. It’s about the attitude towards PE in schools, and the precedence that that is given. I am biased as I’m a sports person and a PE teacher. I think sport is the most important thing or one of the most important things for young people to get involved in, especially with a disability.
Being active is so important, there are so many life skills it teaches you.” – Laura Sugar MBE
The reception drew a crowd of around 150 attendees, including MPs, sports ministers, and other advocates for the cause.
ParalympicsGB is specifically calling on the UK Government to commit to ensuring equal access to PE for all children, addressing the fact that many teachers feel ill-prepared to deliver inclusive PE due to a lack of training, funding, and confidence. With 1.5 million disabled children making up 15% of the school population, the organisation emphasises the urgency and scale of the issue.
For more information, visit: https://paralympics.org.uk/articles/paralympicsgb-calls-for-no-child-to-be-left-on-the-sidelines