The Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association is the peak body for sport, recreation and fitness for people with a physical disability or vision impairment in the Australian state of Queensland.
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The not-for-profit organisation's mission is "to enhance the lives of people with a disability through community engagement and education, sport and healthy activity." It supports people with a range of disabilities including acquired brain injury, amputations, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, spinal cord injury, other neuromuscular and orthopaedic conditions, and vision impairment (partial or total vision loss). The organisation's sports programs and services encourage participation from social level through to elite competition such as the Paralympic Games.
The organisation's headquarters is in Brisbane, with offices in Cairns, Townsville, Mackay and Central Queensland.
Governance
Under the Association’s Constitution, the general control and management of the administration of Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association is by a Board of six. An Advisory Council of Queensland business and community leaders meets on a regular basis to advise and assist the Board in the development and implementation of Association policies.
Paralympian and coach Ray Epstein has been the Chief Executive Officer of the association since 1998.
History
The Association has its origins in the 1960s as a small sports club within the Paraplegic Welfare Association in Queensland. Sport for people with spinal cord injuries was gaining popularity following the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1960, and the ‘Queensland Sports and Social Club for the Disabled’ played an active role in promoting disability sport and raising funds for Queensland athletes selected for national and international competitions.
In 1977, the club became a registered charity in its own right as the Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Sport Association of Queensland. By the following year, the Association had extended its programs and services to include people with physical disabilities other than spinal cord injuries. The decision was made to change to the current name to reflect the Association’s broader mission and capitalise on the popular term ‘sporting wheelies’ to describe wheelchair athletes.
Today, the Association is widely recognised as a leader in the field of sport and healthy activity for people with a disability by national bodies such as the Australian Sports Commission and the Australian Paralympic Committee.
Services
Member services include financial support to participate in representative sporting events and training camps; junior development squads for young athletes; social sporting competitions; subsidised recreational activities; and fitness and rehabilitation services through its Brisbane gym. The organisation also works with partners in disability services, the public sector and sporting bodies to promote inclusion and increase participation of people with a disability in sport and active recreation.