Disability sport in Australia encompasses Paralympic sport, para sport, adaptive sport, and inclusive sport programmes. Australia has a proud Paralympic tradition, and community-level disability sport is growing. This guide covers the key funding sources for disability sport organisations, para athletes, and inclusive sport programmes in Australia.
Paralympics Australia (PA) is the national governing body for Paralympic sport and receives Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) investment.
Key investment areas:
- High performance para athletes preparing for Paralympic and World Championship competition
- Para sport pathway development
- National disability sport organisations
- Para sport club development (through national sport organisations)
Access: Para sport investment at community level flows through national sport organisations (e.g., Athletics Australia for para athletics, Swimming Australia for para swimming). Contact the relevant NSO for your sport.
Sport Australia's disability sport investment:
- Disability sport participation programmes
- Inclusive sport activation
- Working with NSOs to embed para sport pathways
Community access: State sport and recreation agencies distribute Sport Australia investment for community disability sport.
State sport and recreation departments fund disability sport:
- Victoria: Sport and Recreation Victoria — inclusive sport grants
- NSW: Office of Sport NSW — disability sport programmes
- Queensland: QSport — disability sport and recreation
- Western Australia: DLGSC — disability and inclusive sport
- South Australia: ORSR — inclusive sport
- Tasmania: Sport and Recreation Tasmania
The NDIS is Australia's primary disability support framework and can fund sport and recreation as part of participant plans.
NDIS and sport:
- Sport and recreation can be funded as a social, community, and civic participation support
- Equipment for sport (wheelchairs, prosthetics for sport) may be funded as assistive technology
- Support workers accompanying participants to sport activities are NDIS-fundable
Important: NDIS funding goes to individual participants, not to sport organisations. Sport clubs can partner with NDIS providers to deliver supported sport.
Disability-focused philanthropic funders support sport as part of quality of life and inclusion:
ANZ Trustees (various charitable funds): Disability services and inclusion.
Perpetual Limited (charitable clients): Various disability-focused grants.
State disability foundations: Victoria, NSW, and other states have disability-specific foundations.
Endeavour Foundation: Disability services including recreation.
Scope: Disability support including recreation and sport participation.
Disability sport equipment (sports wheelchairs, hand cycles, seated throwing frames, tandem bikes, adaptive boats) is expensive. Funding:
- State sport agencies: Adaptive equipment grants
- Gaming trusts / ClubGRANTS: Equipment grants for sport clubs
- Lottery grants: Equipment for disability sport
- NDIS: For individual participant equipment
- Disability sector funders: Equipment for sport programmes
Inclusive sport means people with disability participating in mainstream clubs alongside non-disabled players. Funding for mainstream clubs running inclusive programmes:
- Sport Australia: Inclusive sport activation
- State sport agencies: Community sport inclusion grants
- Gaming trusts: Inclusive programme grants
- Disability sector grants: For clubs with explicit disability inclusion programmes
Sport has documented benefits for people with psychosocial disability. Mental health-focused sport programmes may access:
- Mental health funders (Beyond Blue, SANE Australia, state mental health programmes)
- Community trusts: Wellbeing and mental health grants
- Sport for mental health programmes: Various state and national programmes
Special Olympics Australia serves athletes with intellectual disability across 30+ sports. Funding sources:
- Sport Australia (Special Olympics is a recognised organisation)
- State sport agencies
- Gaming trusts and lottery grants
- Community foundations
- Corporate sponsors
Strong disability sport applications demonstrate:
- Genuine inclusion: Not segregation but meaningful, supported participation
- Participant numbers: How many people with disability will participate?
- Disability-specific needs: How is the programme adapted for participant needs?
- Safety and support: Appropriate support, supervision, and risk management
- Pathways: From introductory to competitive for motivated participants
- Sustainability: How will the programme continue beyond the grant?
- Participant voice: Are people with disability involved in programme design?
Tahua's grants management platform helps sport and disability organisations manage complex funding portfolios — tracking multiple applications, reporting requirements, and the inclusive impact that funders want to see.