Para athletics

Pictured: Perth Strathtay Harriers

scottishathletics aims to ensure there are opportunities for athletes with a physical, sensory, and learning disability, to participate, compete and reach their full potential in athletics.

We provide a pathway for para athletes from participation level to high performance, providing local, national, and international competition opportunities. We support athletes to access suitable mainstream or disability-specific clubs and work with coaches to provide appropriate training opportunities.

Education and Training

scottishathletics, in partnership with Scottish Disability Sport, delivers disability and inclusion training and workshops to coaches, volunteers, education and support services.

The workshops available include:

• How to coach disabled athletes in sport
• Inclusive athletics
• UK disability inclusion training
• British Athletics disability inclusion training
• Guide running and visually impaired athletes

For more information, contact National Disability Pathway Officer Pamela Robson.

Events

There are many local, national and club competitions throughout the year that are open for para athletes to compete in. Some para events are also integrated into the national track and field championships. Scottish Disability Sport works with scottishathletics to offer a range of disability-specific competitions across the country, throughout the year.

Assistance forms can be completed if you have an athlete in your club who has a disability, competing in an event. Assistance can include help in the call room and at the start of the race. Please contact the Competitions Team at scottishathletics for more information.

Best Practice

Clubs are encouraged to include para athletes into mainstream activity where appropriate. For some clubs or athletes, it may be more suitable to consider a disability section, which provides more specific opportunities for a wider community.

Clubs are also encouraged to provide opportunities for coaches and volunteers to access disability inclusion training, to ensure that provision is made for access and equipment and to ensure that their website provides details of the assistance that can be offered to athletes with a disability.

Aberdeen AAC worked with Scottish Disability Sport on these two short films to demonstrate how they have included para athletes in their activities.

Downloadable resources

A Guide to Para Athletics Classification_
Promoting Inclusive Practice in Sports Clubs (updated Dec 2020)
Wheelchair and FrameRunning – Safe Return

For more information, please contact National Disability Pathway Officer Pamela Robson, your National Club Manager or Scottish Disability Sport branch contact.