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, three years ago, Katie Kelly OAM, Paralympian and Gold medallist (Para-triathlon) established Sport Access Foundation (SAF).
The Foundation provides annual grants to young people 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 many Australian Sporting Groups: Sporting Wheelies Disability Association, Deaf Sports Australia, Blind Sports Australia and Sport Inclusion Australia (intellectual) and 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
We rely on community donations to support our annual grants program. Thank you for your donation - every dollar goes direct to the grant recipients to help with the cost of their sport, including modified equipment, carer costs, transport and fees.
Disabilities 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
Sport Access Foundation was set up by Katie Kelly OAM, Australia's first Gold Medallist in the sport of Paratriathlon at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. Katie trains with Triathlon Australia's High Performance squad on the Gold Coast, under Coach Dan Atkins. She has won 2 World Championships (2015, 2017) and is now aiming to qualify for the Tokyo 2021 Paralympics.