ParalympicsGB and Toyota have launched the ground-breaking Every Body Moves initiative to empower disabled people to become active in a way that is right for them.
Drawing on the lived experience of disabled people throughout the UK, Every Body Moves is an evolution of the award winning Parasport powered by Toyota platform which has grown to become the nation’s largest online destination, connecting people with thousands of inclusive sporting and physical activities.
What is Every Body Moves?
Every Body Moves has been developed thanks to a renewed commitment from Toyota to promote inclusive sporting opportunities. It comes at a time when new research* on behalf of ParalympicsGB reveals disabled people’s physical activity levels have been disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and cost of living challenges:
- Disabled people are almost twice as likely as non-disabled people (17% compared to 10%) to say they are unable to find accessible and inclusive activities near them.
- Disabled people are twice as likely as non-disabled people (30% compared to 15%) to say they are feeling lonelier and more isolated now than before the pandemic and cost of living challenges.
- 82% of disabled people could name at least one reason why taking part in physical activity and or sport is important to them.
- Almost half (48%) of disabled people agreed that being part of an inclusive community involved in physical activity is important to them.
The platform features more than 7,000 inclusive sessions and a range of virtual workouts, hints and tips, and has been co-produced with disabled people.
What does Every Body Moves do?
It will aim to improve accessibility standards for physical activity listings and will place the lived experience of disabled people at the heart of the programme to enable even greater numbers to enjoy the benefits of becoming more active.
To launch Every Body Moves, more than 150 disabled people took part in a ‘come and try’ session for different sports and activities, from archery and dance to wheelchair basketball and table tennis, at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield today (20 March).
They were joined by Paralympic gold medallists Hannah Cockcroft, Jonnie Peacock and new ParalympicsGB chief executive Dave Clarke.
Since the partnership between ParalympicsGB and Toyota started in 2018, the digital hub has expanded to feature thousands of inclusive activities across the UK, with more than 650,000 unique website visitors. The programme’s success was reflected in the fact that it won a 2022 Sports Industry Award in the Active and Wellbeing category. Grants totalling £500,000 were also awarded via the Toyota Parasport fund to grassroots organisations to support inclusive provision during and post-pandemic.
*Source: Savanta interviewed 2572 UK adults (aged 16+) online between 17 -19 February. The sample included a boost for people with a long-term physical condition, mental condition and/or disability, bringing the total of those with a long-term condition and/or disability interviewed to 1053. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of UK adults by gender, region, and social grade.
About the British Paralympic Association and ParalympicsGB
The British Paralympic Association is the National Paralympic Committee for the UK, responsible for the promotion of the Paralympic movement in Great Britain and selecting, entering and funding the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Paralympic team.
ParalympicsGB is the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Paralympic Team competing at the summer and winter Paralympic Games. We know that the outstanding performances of our athletes have a powerful impact on the British public and can shift perceptions of disability in society, helping to inspire a better world for disabled people.
The BPA would like to thank the National Lottery, UK Sport and our Gold Partners adidas, Aldi, Allianz, bp, Bupa, CMR Surgical, Dreams, Hogan Lovells, John West, Nestlé Cereals UK, Ocean, Salesforce, Toyota, and our Partners asos, Citi, Randox Health and Sir Robert McAlpine for their support. Further details are available here.
