The World Games is one of the most important international sporting events in the world. For this event, the world’s best athletes compete for gold in several multidisciplinary sports, the majority of which are not contested at the Olympics such as billiards, korfball and dance sport. The next World Games will be held in Birmingham, Alabama in 2022 and is set to be the most accessible edition of the game since its inception in 1981.

Officials from The World Games 2022 Birmingham Organising Committee have partnered with the Lakeshore Foundation to focus on making the event more inclusive of adapted sports and experiences for people with a disability. The Lakeshore Foundation is a foundation based in Birmingham, Alabama that focuses on ensuring physical activity is accessible to all individuals and promoting independence for persons with physically disabling conditions.

The partnership will develop and implement an initiative geared at disability inclusion and access. A Journey to One World, One Games is the brainchild of both organisations. It focuses on four primary strategic priorities for the World Games:
establishing a diverse and representative steering committee,
creating an inclusive and accessible athlete experience,
enhancing accessibility and inclusion for fan and,
developing a training and education program for staff, volunteers and partners.

According to the CEO of The World Games 2022, Nick Sellers, “Our goal for this program is to make The World Games 2022 a welcoming, accessible and inclusive event for all. But beyond that, we also want to create a legacy for accessibility and disability inclusivity for Birmingham and future editions of The World Games – one that will last far beyond 2022.”

From the goals and quote above, you can see that both organisations are not just concerned with the accessibility of athletes, but also fans with disabilities who will be attending The World Games in Birmingham, Alabama. The keyword in the quote is ‘all’. The World Games 2022 appears to be committed to accessibility for all athletes, all staff, all fans and all volunteers.

In addition to their commitment to inclusive accessibility, The World Games 2022 has gone a step further in including an adaptive sport, wheelchair rugby. It is the first wheelchair sport ever to be featured in the programme. Players will be classified according to their functional level and use custom-made wheelchairs specifically designed for wheelchair rugby. Unsurprisingly, this is extremely important for Australia’s rugby and disabled community and opens the doorway to competitive sports on an international level for more people.

As Australia is set to compete in The World Games 2022, these developments are incredibly promising for our athletes and fans. Accessibility is not just about facilitating the entrance and exit for buildings, it’s about helping the disabled community live more wholesome and fulfilling lives. The World Games 2022 Birmingham Organising Committee has made this possible in one of the most important sporting events and has set the blueprint for future international sporting events.