Disability Sport and Recreation Festival
The Victorian Disability Sport and Recreation Festival is a unique community event that promotes and celebrates physically active lifestyles for people with disability.
This year our festival is going virtual – with interactive sessions, videos, Q&As and special panels – and you’re invited!
When: Friday 11 – Saturday 12 December 2020
At the 2020 VDSR (virtual) Festival you can:
- Learn about different sport and active recreation opportunities for Victorians with disability – and ask questions
- Try different activities using items from around your house
- Connect with physical activity providers in regional Victoria
- Meet AAA Play ambassadors at the specialist schools’ session
- Learn how Paralympic classification works
- Understand how the NDIS can help you play sport
- Join the industry panel on the future of the disability sport and recreation sector
Registration is required to access this event. Register to attend and we’ll keep you up-to-date with schedule announcements and the details of when specific live chat Q&A sessions with exhibitors will take place over the two-day festival.
The festival is hosted by Disability Sport & Recreation and supported by the Victorian Government, VicHealth and the Carbine Club.
Disability Sport & Recreation maintains high standards of online safety and we are committed to making sure that everyone, particularly children and young people, can enjoy the festival and feel safe from harm while taking part.
Festival schedule
Day one – Fri 11 Dec
8am-6pm: Meet our exhibitors
Explore the exhibitor booths of Victorian sport and recreation organisations, providers and suppliers and see how you can get active in 2021.
8-9am: Industry panel: the future of the disability sport and recreation sector
Join our panel of special guests as they analyse the current disability sport and recreation sector and the impact that COVID-19 has had. This session will focus on what the rebuild of disability sport and recreation may look like and what role sporting organisations can play in this new world.
Our speakers:
- Matthew Haanappel – Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator, Active Monash
- Sarah Anderson – Chair, Disability Sport & Recreation
- Ned Brewer-Maiga – Community Assistant – Social Inclusion, Hawthorn Football Club
- Libby Mears – CEO, Leisure Network
9-9:30am: Official festival opening and welcome
Join our panel of special guests as they officially open the festival and welcome everyone to explore the sport and active recreation opportunities available for people with disability in Victoria.
Our speakers:
- Richard Amon – CEO, Disability Sport & Recreation
- Elise Richards – Member, Disability Sport & Recreation
- Dr Sandro Demaio – CEO, VicHealth
- The Hon. Ros Spence MP – Minister for Community Sport
9:30-10:30am: AAA Play ambassador session
Meet two of AAA Play’s ambassadors and listen to their stories about the impact sport has had on their lives.
You will have a chance to ask the ambassador’s questions as well as learn about AAA Play. There will also be fun physical activities to start and finish the session.
We recommend this session for children, school groups and those with an interest in the personal stories of athletes with disability.
4-5pm: Connect with Victorian regional sport
Find out how your regional sports assembly can help you get involved in sport. We will discuss what a regional sports assembly is, what they do and why they are important to disability sport in regional Victoria.
This session includes break out rooms with each regional sports assembly so you can ask questions about your local area.
Festival schedule
Day two – Sat 12 Dec
9am-4pm: Meet our exhibitors
Explore the exhibitor booths of Victorian sport and recreation organisations, providers and suppliers and see how you can get active in 2021.
10-11am: Paralympic pathways
Have you ever wondered how Paralympic classification works?
Want to know what pathways exist to take you from grassroots sport through to being an elite athlete that represents Australia at the Paralympics?
Join this session hosted by Paralympics Australia and hear from classifiers and athletes about how it all works and what classification might mean for you.
1-2pm: Getting active with the NDIS
Understand how the NDIS can help you play sport and get physically active.
We’ll walk you through our NDIS Sports Guide and how it can help you include sport and active recreation in your NDIS Plan.
Event supporters:
Media partner:
NDIStv visited the festival in 2016. Take a look at what you can expect to see at the festival and learn why being active and finding the right sport for you is important.
Not sure what to expect?
Our partner, My Sport Live, made this short highlights video about our 2019 festival.
It captures the crowd, activities, excitement and colour.