About the project
As a nation, Australia loves its Sport. It sits at the heart of our culture and identity.
Recognising that not everyone enjoys the same access to playing and participating in sport, Katie Kelly OAM PLY, Paralympian and Gold medallist (Para-triathlon) established Sport Access Foundation (SAF) in 2017.
The Foundation is a registered Australian charity, providing grants to young children and teenagers aged 7-17 years who are living with a disability. The aim is to provide them with better access to sport, through participation in a local sporting club or activity, or a competitive event. Our grants ensure many more children can participate in sporting activities that might otherwise be beyond their financial means. The grants are used to assist with costs such as transport, entry fees, specialised sporting equipment e.g. a modified wheelchair, clothing and consultation with health professionals to develop a suitable training program.
We have established partnerships with disability sporting groups including Sport Inclusion Australia, Deaf Sports Australia, Blind Sports Australia and we collaborate with these organisations to advocate and foster the growth and development of inclusive sports across the country.
SAF’s work is based on the firm belief that participating in sport and recreation offers young children with a disability many physical and social benefits. It helps build self-esteem, connects them to like-minded peers and the community, and reduces their dependency on welfare support systems as teenagers and adults.
The Foundation is seeking to gain corporate support to continue to offer our annual grants to young people from across Australia. We encourage corporate Australia to get in touch with us via info@sportaccessfoundation.org.au
Our goal is $500,000 is fundraised and distributed by 2027. Then to double that to $1million by 2032. We are all volunteers, and Katie oversees the day to day operations of the foundation. Your donation goes direct to the grant recipients. Operational costs are covered by our founding partner BlueScope.
tDisabilities of our Applicants (this is a sample of the type of disabilities we note in the annual applications).
Tourette’s Syndrome
Autism
Intellectual disability
Transverse Myelitis
Vision impairment – Blind, partially vision impaired, retinal dystrophy, bilateral optic atrophy
Sensory Nystagmus
Perthes Disease
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Infantile Congenital Scoliosis
Acquired Brain Injury
Arnold Chiari Malformation
Klippel Fiel Syndrome
Hearing impairment – Deaf, severe to profound hearing Loss, cochlear implant/hearing aids
Oculocutaneous Albinism
Cerebral Palsy Spastic Diplegic
Congenital Deformity of right hand
Nystagmus (involuntary movement of the eye)
Cerebral Palsy
Epilepsy and Autism
Undiagnosed severe and permanent progressive disorder of spinal cord
Kyphoscoliosis with heme-vertebrae and rib anomalies
Clubfeet and joint hypomobilit
Classic Autism & Intellectual Disability
Amputee – upper and lower body, including Bi-lateral leg amputee, Right leg through knee, below the knee
Osteogenesis imperfecta
Congenital Upper left limb difference
Spastic diplegic cerebral palsy
Down Syndrome
Cerebral Palsy, left hemisphereotomy
Bilateral Peters Anomaly
Rieger Syndrome
Usher Syndrome
Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP)
Cerebral Palsy Spastic Diplegia
Congenital Arm Abnormality- Radiohumeral Synostosis with Type 4 Ulnar Deficiency and Thumb Aplasia
Ataxia
Arthrogryposis, bilateral club feet, and HFASD.
If you have any queries or would like to know more please contact Sport Access Foundation via our email: info@sportaccessfoundation.org.au
OUR FOUNDER
Katie Kelly OAM PLY, is Australia's first Gold Medallist in Paratriathlon (2016 Rio Paralympics). Katie also completed at Tokyo Paralympics, and won 2 World Championships (2015, 2017) You can read more about her Advocacy work via www.katiekelly.com.au