5 March 2026
Equal Play: Every child should be included in PE
Equal Play
ParalympicsGB calls for no disabled child to be left on the sidelines
As the world tuned in to Paris 2024 we used our moment in the spotlight to launch the transformative social impact campaign Equal Play, calling for equal access to PE and school sport for disabled children.
Many Paralympians told us their own experiences of exclusion during PE lessons, sharing stories of inspiring teachers and lessons designed with inclusion at the heart. But many athletes talked about a childhood spent sat on the sidelines, watching their counterparts enjoy PE in a way that they could not. That needs to change.
Only one in four disabled children in the UK say they take part regularly in sport at school. The scale of the problem is huge, with 1.7 million disabled children comprising 15% of the school population. Disabled children are being sidelined as pressures mount on teachers to deliver inclusive PE without the training, funding and confidence to do so, meaning kids are going without sport and play - fundamentals of their happiness, confidence, physical and mental health.
Up in lights: Dimitri Coutya at Piccadilly Circus
The documentary
These issues are brought life in a powerful ParalympicsGB documentary Equal Play aired on Channel 4 telling the stories of Marley and Tammy, two children whose lives have been profoundly affected by their access to school sport. Marley, a teenager from London, found his confidence through boxing, while Tammy, inspired by ParalympicsGB star Hannah Cockroft, overcame barriers to physical activity at her school and discovered wheelchair racing.
Through their stories, _Equal Play _highlights the transformative power of sport and the persistent challenges disabled children face in accessing it. The documentary has won several awards and struck a chord with audiences, amplifying the call for inclusive sport in schools.
Equal Play call for change
Equal Play advocates for four powerful changes to ensure no child is left on the sidelines:
• Empower teachers with the right tools to deliver truly inclusive PE.
• Adapt teacher training to ensure teachers have the skills to deliver inclusive PE.
• Redefine how PE is seen within the school curriculum and ensure the new PE curriculum embeds inclusion.
• Increase the number of disabled people entering the teaching profession.
What the ParalympicsGB Class of 26 are calling for
We are seeing the Government has a renewed focus on making PE and sport more inclusive for every young person. These developments strongly support what the Equal Play campaign has been calling for: making sure every child has the chance to take part and feel included in school sport and PE.
Equal Play remains a campaign close to the hearts of many ParalympicsGB athletes and the ParalympicsGB class of 2026 are calling for the new school curriculum to make inclusive PE a priority.
PE is more than a lesson - it’s where children learn teamwork, resilience and the joy of moving for a healthy, happy life.
Every week, every year, every child should be included in PE.
#EqualPlay
Equal Play: The message from the team at Paris 2024
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