Extending the benefits of team sports to children with disabilities

Parents of children with disabilities are campaigning to end the exclusion of their sons and daughters from mainstream sporting clubs.

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Leading the charge for a more inclusive society is the charity Touched By Olivia, which works off the charter that all children can lead healthier and happier lives.

"I think there's some myths around children with disabilities that they can't play at the level they're expected to play,” says Justine Perkins, who lost her 8-month-old daughter Olivia in 2006 to a rare illness called lymphangioma.

“But I think with the right training and coaching and support, then there is no problem with integrating them into a mainstream team."

Brendon Coombes, whose son Alex, 8, lives with cerebral palsy, says that his son’s dreams are not too grandiose for reality.

"All Alex wants to do is travel about to different places. He wants to have a jersey. He wants to have a pair of socks that belong to a club he's involved in.

"All kids here have the same goal, the same aspirations. And that's just to be included in everything - from sport to community, to education. Just be involved in every aspect of life."


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