Sports Hawke's Bay

A Journey To Increasing Opportunities For Disabled People – Play, Active Recreation and Sport.

Across New Zealand Sports Hawke's Bay knows that disabled people participate less in any given week, and in fewer sports or activities than non-disabled people. Additionally they know the gap is biggest for disabled people in confidence, competence, and opportunity to take part in activities of their choice, compared with non-disabled people.

Sports Hawke's Bay wants to change these statistics for disabled people living in the Hawke’s Bay region.

In 2020 Sport Hawke’s Bay undertook a Community Information Gathering Project to better understand the needs, barriers and opportunities as identified by disabled people, whānau, disability organisations, local sport and recreation providers regarding inclusion in Play, Active Recreation and Sport. Key action areas highlighted through this Project were: Increasing accessibility of the places and spaces to be active, creating more opportunities for disabled people to be active, improving the communication of opportunities, increasing the knowledge and confidence of local providers, ensuring disabled people’s voices are heard, improving sector connectivity and collaboration.

In response to these action areas, Sport Hawke’s Bay established a Regional Advisory Group in June 2021 to develop a strategy to address and action these key community insights. The following sets out their commitments over the next 3 years and will be reviewed annually during this time alongside their community to develop specific, yearly commitments.

Great wellbeing of all disabled people in Hawke’s Bay by supporting and enabling more quality, equitable and inclusive opportunities in play, active recreation, and sport.

The Advisory Group have chosen to use the term ‘disabled people’ within this strategy, to align to Sport New Zealand’s Disability Plan and the New Zealand Disability Strategy; however they appreciate not everyone identifies with this language. This strategy therefore aims to take a holistic, hauora approach encompassing Tangata Whaikaha (Māori with disabilities), all people in Hawke’s Bay with an impairment or disability that affects their ability to be active, and their whānau, no matter how they identify.