What is Sport For All?
The EU-CoE joint project "Sport For All: Promoting Inclusion and Combating Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities" (March 2025 – August 2026) builds on ongoing efforts to create a more inclusive sports culture by addressing the barriers to the participation of persons with disabilities in sport and fostering a safe and welcoming sports environments for all.
People with physical, sensory, intellectual, and psychosocial disabilities face disproportional discrimination, exclusion, and limited access to sports due to social and systemic obstacles. They also experience discrimination online, including hate speech and cyberbullying, which further discourages their participation. These barriers are connected and reinforce each other, underscoring the need for improved access to anti-discrimination practices among sport organisations across different levels.
This “Sport For All” project thus highlights the importance of accessibility, representation, and equal opportunities in sport, working to ensure that everyone can participate safely and freely, by fighting stereotypes and promoting inclusive sports practices, supporting grassroots clubs, and raising awareness about the importance of accessibility in sports. The project supports sports organisations, public authorities, and local sports communities in developing inclusive policies and programmes. Key deliverables will include training workshops, an educational toolkit, video content, and research on best practices for inclusion.
The main goal of the project is to explore effective strategies to promote the access to and participation in sport for persons with disabilities.
Building safe and inclusive spaces
Identifying ways to increase access to sport for persons with disabilities and supporting inclusive, safe, and welcoming sports environments for all.
Increasing visibility and representation
Showcasing sportspersons with disabilities through a series of video clips to challenge stereotypes, encourage participation and fight against discrimination.
Raising awareness on inclusion practices
Facilitating the exchange of expertise on the inclusion of persons with disabilities in sport and raising of the barriers to participation in sport through a series of webinars.
Supporting sports communities
Delivering training and providing materials and resources to sports professionals, grassroots clubs, and sports organisations, in particular sharing best practices and educational toolkits on inclusion and anti-discrimination.
- Public authorities and policymakers
- Sports professionals, in particular athletes with disabilities
- Sports federations and grassroots clubs
- Civil society organisations working on disability rights
- Volunteers, local communities, and the general public
- International sports organisations.
@OIS/Joel Marklund
The Council of Europe's Sport Division is responsible for the implementation of the "Sport For All" project.
The "Sport For All" project will be run in close collaboration with important partners from public authorities, sports organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and networks, and experts who will all provide their expertise. They will be involved in various stages of the project and its activities.