A national campaign has been launched to encourage and support disabled people, along with their friends and families, to become more active.
The “Together We Will” campaign is designed to address the low numbers of disabled people who regularly take part in sport or physical activity.
A recent Sport England Active People Survey showed disabled people are half as likely to be active as non-disabled.
Will Mellor, whose disabled sister died in 2013, is championing the initiative.
The actor’s sister had Marfan’s syndrome, which affected her physically as well as impacting on her learning.
“She sadly passed away in 2013 but I recall fondly how much we loved being active as a family together,” he said.
The campaign, which is organised by the English Federation of Disability Sport and eight National Disability Sports Organisations, also targets the friends and families of disabled people. It is also backed by Sport England.
It will share first-hand experiences from people with a variety of different impairments and health conditions so others can learn from their stories, helping them to to choose activities they can enjoy.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting our ambassadors and hearing their stories,” added Mellor.
“We can all make a positive change and support more people to reap the benefits of an active lifestyle.”
The campaign will run from July until September alongside a busy summer of sport, including the Olympics and Paralympics.
For more information about Together We Will, visit the EFDS campaign page.
If you want to find out more about disability sport, go here.
