Upstreaming; Boosting Disability Mainstreaming in Sport

Background Mainstreaming is the umbrella terms which describes the systematic approach to ensuring that people with a disability have both a) access to mainstream sports and b) disability specific sport and where mainstream sports federations are expected to be in a position to facilitate provision to the same level of access to all levels of sport for all, regardless of their physical capacities. However, the implementation of Mainstreaming has developed in an unbalanced manner throughout Europe. Objectives The Upstreaming project aimed to work with sports organisations from both disability and mainstream sport on (a) Strategic development of Mainstreaming (b) Knowledge Transfers around the topic of Mainstreaming (c) Engagement in and Promotion of Mainstreaming, through understanding the Mainstreaming landscape from the top-down and bottom-up perspective, the implementation of a development workshops between key stakeholders and a basis for sustainable Mainstreaming exchange mechanisms. Implementation The project mapped the Mainstreaming Landscape through interviews with key stakeholders. Furthermore it engaged with coaches, volunteers and participants to gain their perspective on the topic. An accelerator programme was developed and delivered with 6 sports organisations attending from throughout Europe. These participants are all working on ideas developed during the accelerator to improve the development of their own mainstreaming activities. This cohort also formed the basis of the network Achievements The Upstreaming Project produced four main results (1) Context Document outlining the findings from the mapping process including interviews and feedback from over 100 participants (2) An Engagement Strategy was established and implemented for boosting mainstreaming at the grassroots level (3) An Accelerator Programme was developed and delivered with Mainstreaming initiatives being initiated and implemented in 6 further countries (4) Network to support Mainstreaming developed.