Disability Sports Coach (DSC) are the leading community-based disability sport charity based in London. Only 17% of disabled people report engaging in sport once a week – half as many as non-disabled people – with the majority of those who were not engaged citing a lack of accessibility as a significant barrier. This is exactly what Disability Sports Coach aim to tackle, by providing high quality sporting opportunities for disabled people throughout the UK – and, since COVID-19 led us all online - worldwide.
 
The charity is best known for running 14 Community Clubs across London where disabled people can come together and connect whilst enjoying inclusive sports activities and social support. Currently, they serve over 19,000 disabled people in 13 boroughs. However, another key element of their work is providing coaching and training to educate sports providers in inclusive adaptations.

The challenge
From SEN and mainstream school to leisure centres, corporate companies, charities, community groups and more, Disability Sports Coach are spreading the message far and wide about the importance of inclusive sport for disabled people – and how to deliver it.
 
In 2019, the charity identified a growing demand for convenient, low cost online learning opportunities that would allow individuals and organisations to get up to speed with the fundamentals of inclusive sport provision.
 
The solution
After researching the field, the charity was drawn to eLearning as an option that provided accessible virtual learning, which would allow users to train at their own pace, in their own time, whilst negating the need to travel to face-to-face settings.
 
In partnership with Elearn4business (E4B), a leading provider of eLearning solutions to the physical activity and active leisure sectors the charity developed their eLearning course: Disability Awareness in Sport which is delivered via their learning hub and provides the basic knowledge of inclusive sport to the sector at large. This course includes education around The Equality Act of 2010, the Inclusion Spectrum and STEPS principals, along with appropriate use of language to support disabled participants in sport.
 
The quiz functionality of eLearning was also a bonus, enabling users to check their knowledge and receive certification of their training once completed.
 
Impact and aims
Whilst the training system is still in the early phases, Disability Sports Coach have high hopes for where eLearning could take the charity’s aims. Thus far, a range of organisations have benefitted from the training, including Unity Works, Premier Education, London Sports Trust, Caxton Youth Organisation and the ICM Foundation.
 
Over the next few years, the charity hopes to increase the number of teachers, coaches, leaders and volunteers who have an understanding of how to include disabled people in their activities by providing this highly flexible approach to learning to delegates, reaching a wide pool of providers.
 
As the industry begins to return to in-person sport, now is a key time to ensure that disabled people can enjoy the full benefits of being active – and this means a sports sector run by individuals with a knowledge of inclusive practices. Through their eLearning: Disability Awareness in Sport course, Disability Sports Coach hopes to be at the forefront of making this need a reality.
 
Rob Latter, Learning Solutions Director from Elearn4business comments, “we are delighted to have created and made available a tailored and accessible disability awareness in sport online course in partnership with the team at Disability Sports Coach. It is great to see the impact this type of training is having on coaches, teachers, volunteers etc. through our user survey results and other feedback from those delivering sessions”.
 
Peter Ackred, Chief Executive from Disability Sports Coach comments, “I am delighted to continue the partnership with Elearn4business in providing online access through our Disability Awareness in Sport course allowing more people to learn about inclusive sport. There has previously been a lack of sufficient opportunities for disabled people to access sport and physical activities, but with this course being available online and able to be completed anywhere in the world, Disability Sports Coach now has the opportunity to educate sports leaders and ultimately close this gap.”
 
To learn more about the course please click here or if you would like to discuss your eLearning requirements for your organisation please contact us and we will get straight back to you.

Following successful Beta Testing we at Elearn4business have launched our ON-DEMAND eLearning platform - Your Learning Space.

Our platform provides Active Leisure, Health & Fitness and Sport & Physical activity organisations with excellent learning and development opportunities for their workforce whether on a local, national or global scale.

Our industry specific courses are trusted by some of the leading public and private sector organisations and used by leisure professionals in various roles across all departments.

We invite you to take a look around the site and please do get in contact should you wish to have a chat about any eLearning requirements you may have: Click

Alzheimer’s Society UK and Dementia Action Alliance have partnered with social enterprise and leisure operator Places Leisure and leisure sector eLearning expert Elearn4business to develop a leisure specific dementia awareness online training programme.

Physical activity can play an active role in improving the nation’s mental health and wellbeing and have a major impact on a range of mental health conditions and dementia. According to Alzheimer’s Society, the UK’s leading dementia charity, studies show that physical exercise can have a significant impact on wellbeing, such as improving mood, confidence and self-esteem.

Dr Steve Mann, Head of Healthy Communities at Places Leisure said, “As a social enterprise and community leisure operator we recognise our responsibility to make our services and facilities as accessible as possible for all members of our communities. In the case of dementia, a non-physical and often hard to recognise condition, this begins with awareness amongst team members.

“It is imperative that all of our leisure colleagues can recognise the signs that someone may be living with dementia, be able to communicate effectively with them, and understand how to provide an experience best suited to that individual. This training has transformed the way Places Leisure operate, with the increased awareness enhancing our service and making the facilities that we manage on behalf of our local authority partners more accessible and enjoyable for people living with dementia as well as their carers.

"At Riverside Leisure Centre in Norwich for instance the centre is an active partner and ambassador for improving accessibility and opportunities for people with health inequalities, sitting on the Norwich city Dementia Action Alliance Steering Group and working in partnership with Alzheimer’s Society towards the Council’s aim of making a dementia friendly city. They also host a Dementia Café initiative each month where people with dementia can come along and take part in social and physical activities.”

The specialist eLearning programme is informed by best practice and research that’s been tailored to the leisure environment. Most importantly, it is informed and shaped by the experiences of people living with dementia.

Dementia is the ‘umbrella’ term used to describe a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, perception, problem solving or language. In a leisure centre environment, there are a number of challenges to navigate from difficulties communicating when booking an activity, to lane ropes in the pool being perceived to be gaps, and cluttered layouts causing confusion and trip hazards.

With the benefits that leisure centres can offer, both in terms of health and social benefits, it’s imperative that operators are aware of these challenges and can offer the right support. As Alzheimer’s Society explains, “accessible environments are incredibly important to support people living with dementia to continue to do things for themselves for longer and access their community. Small changes to layout or signage, for example, can go a long way to reducing stress and confusion.” (Dementia Friendly Business Guide Alzheimer’s Society 2017).

The dementia awareness eLearning programme developed with training provider Elearn4business covers a range of topics from common types of dementia and how these can affect people, to how dementia can impact a person’s leisure centre experience and effective communication with customers living with dementia.

Rob Latter from Elearn4business comments, “We are delighted to have created and made available a tailored and accessible dementia awareness course that has enhanced accessibility in over 120 Places Leisure facilities across the UK. Through our established partnership with Places Leisure it’s exciting to see the impact that this type of training can have on our local communities and the difference that it can make to people’s lives.”

Hertfordshire based ELEARN4BUSINESS Ltd is marking the notable landmark of their 10th anniversary this month with a thank you to all the organisations who have shown their dedication to helping educate their workforce via online learning.

Since delivering their first project back in 2011 this innovative online eLearning company has gone from strength to strength, developing over 100 bespoke and off-the-shelf courses, and overseeing 45,000 plus learners logging in and completing their learning.

Despite the challenges for many sectors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Elearn4business has continued to support their clients throughout this difficult time. Rob Latter, Co-Founder of ELEARN4BUSINESS said. “We would like to thank all of our clients and partners for caring about their staff, volunteers, external coaches and every learner that has accessed our services over the past decade. We are truly blessed to be able to look back on our growth and success since our first project in 2011 which has seen us help many organisations across various sectors including active leisure, health & fitness, sport & physical activity, charity and government with their eLearning requirements”.

ELEARN4BUSINESS has also supported organisations with the delivery of national campaigns such as the 'This Girl Can Swim' via Sport England, the 'Sainsbury’s Schools Programme' and the 'Alzheimer’s Society’s dementia friend’s' initiative.

As the demand for moderated, trackable, reportable and learner-centric eLearning continues, more organisations are looking to improve the way they deliver learning and development opportunities for all.

ELEARN4BUSINESS Ltd are known for the quality of their courses and the end user experience and it is because of the focus of their clients who help drive the eLearning experience within the workplace that they continue to grow.

If you would like to look at the options for your organisation and see some real examples including a demo then please get in touch and we will get straight back to you.