DISABILITY STRATEGY, 2018-2021 Making tennis a sport that is inclusive and accessible for disabled people 1 @TennisFndation TennisFoundation1 Tennis Foundation Disability Strategy 2018-21 2 FOREWORD CONTENTS Since we published our first disability strategy in 2013, we have made tremendous progress. Tennis in Great A BIT OF PERSPECTIVE 3 Britain has become more inclusive and accessible, with a far greater range of opportunities for AN INFORMED APPROACH 5 disabled people to get involved and progress. PRINCIPLES AND PURPOSE 11 At an international level, we have excelled. Great Britain won more wheelchair tennis medals than any other nation at the Rio 2016 Paralympic OUR VISION 13 Games, while Britain’s tennis players with a learning disability, visual impairment or hearing impairment have all won honours on the global OUR CORE STRATEGIES 15 stage. That international success is fed by a development pathway that has its roots in tennis MEASURING SUCCESS 27 clubs and venues across the country. It is here where the impact of our work has been seen, with more disabled people now participating MAKING OPEN COURT A REALITY 29 in tennis across the network of venues that we support than ever before. We can’t, though, stand still and admire what we have achieved to date. There remains much work to do if we are to achieve our vision of making tennis a sport that is open to all, one that is inclusive and accessible for disabled people. We have been working with disabled people for many years. Our first strategy gave us the direction and structure to bring this work together and deliver a greater impact. We’ve titled our new strategy ‘Open Court’. This is the next step on the journey, with this document outlining the four key strategic pillars our work will be focused around to take us to 2021. At the heart of our approach is creating, supporting and promoting opportunities that provide a choice for disabled people as to how they want to get involved in tennis, developing that involvement and helping them maximise their potential. We are excited about delivering this because we know the impact our work can have. It is focussed on addressing inactivity, and delivering real improvements in physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing and personal development. We can’t do this on our own, and will be looking to both build on our existing partnerships and develop new ones. If you like what we have to say over the following pages and want to work with us or provide your support, we would love to hear from you. Joanna Farquharson Interim Executive Director 3 @TennisFndation TennisFoundation1 Tennis Foundation Disability Strategy 2018-21 4 OUR STORY OUR TRACK RECORD Founded in 1987, the Tennis Foundation We’ve been working with disabled tennis is Great Britain’s leading tennis charity. players for many years, both at the We’ve been part of the tennis landscape grassroots and elite levels of the game. for over 30 years. AT THE ELITE LEVEL, Great Britain is one of the WE BELIEVE tennis is a sport that anyone can play. leading nations in the world in disability tennis, winning more medals than any other nation at OUR MISSION is to open the game up to everyone. the Rio 2016 Paralympics. In wheelchair tennis, We know tennis can make a positive impact on we have helped to bring on some of the world’s people’s lives. It brings very real health and social greatest players, who have claimed multiple benefits, helping people be the best they can be singles and doubles Grand Slam titles over the in all sorts of ways. Our aim is to share these benefits past few years. Peter Norfolk, Jayant Mistry, with as many people as possible, especially those Gordon Reid, Alfie Hewitt, Jordanne Whiley, who have never thought of playing tennis before. Lucy Shuker and Andy Lapthorne, to name just Disabled people are one of the three groups we a few, have all come through our programmes. work with to bring this mission to life. The others We have also put on major international events are young people in education and young people including the British Open Wheelchair Tennis in urban and disadvantaged communities. Championships and the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters as well as supporting domestic events. OUR VALUES are simple. We’re open, innovative, In learning disability tennis, deaf tennis and courageous and vibrant. They give us the strength visually impaired tennis our players have also to fulfil our mission. won international titles and medals. The Tennis Foundation, with the support of UK Sport for WE’RE COMMITTED to providing opportunities wheelchair tennis players, has helped to nurture for as many disabled people as possible to try and develop the amazing players who have the game. achieved so much. AT THE GRASSROOTS, in 2013 we introduced UNDERSTANDING DISABILITY a more structured approach to bringing as many disabled people as possible into the According to the Equalities Act 2010, a game, when we published our first Disability disability is a physical or mental impairment Tennis Strategy. Our goal then was to inspire and engage disabled people to get involved in that has a substantial or long-term negative tennis, whatever their ability or background, effect on your ability to do normal activities. providing opportunities for all and competitive pathways for the most talented. It’s still our OUR APPROACH is to look at the issue more goal today. from the point of the view of the person affected. We focus on removing the barriers SUPPORTING VENUES. With help from faced by people with an impairment or long term Sport England’s Whole Sport Plan Funding to health condition – the attitudes and physical tennis, we have provided training, advice and obstacles that prevent them from doing things. equipment to a network of venues across the That’s what creates their disability. That’s where country as part of our disability programme. they feel its impact the most. This approach is This has helped nearly 8,000 disabled people called the social model of disability. to get active by playing tennis at least every month, and most of them every week. THE FACTS are that one in five people are disabled. It’s also true that disabled people in BUILDING ON ALL THIS, we have successfully general have low activity levels compared to bid via the LTA for further funding from Sport the non-disabled population. Tennis is uniquely England to support our disability tennis work placed to change this. until 2021. ‘WE BELIEVE THAT TENNIS IS A SPORT THAT A BIT OF PERSPECTIVE ANYONE CAN PLAY’ 5 @TennisFndation TennisFoundation1 Tennis Foundation Disability Strategy 2018-21 6 UNDERSTANDING OUR AUDIENCE We’ve been working for decades with disabled people. In that time, we’ve picked up some valuable insights and experience. We’re also constantly carrying out research. As a result, we really understand what disabled people need from us. Not only that, we’re always monitoring our work and evaluating the impact it has. PLAYING TOGETHER. We know that many disabled people want to play tennis with people who are similar to them. In some cases, that means people who have a disability or condition like theirs. We’re committed to making this happen, enabling disabled players to enjoy the game in a relaxed, stress-free environment. EVERYONE TOGETHER. Other disabled players are keen to take part alongside non-disabled people, whether as players, coaches or volunteers. We fully support them. Our aim is to make tennis a truly inclusive sport, welcoming everyone regardless of ability or impairment. To create these opportunities, we work closely with the LTA, the national governing body for tennis in Britain. AN INFORMED APPROACH 7 @TennisFndation TennisFoundation1 Tennis Foundation Disability Strategy 2018-21 8 WHAT WE DO We work with all disabled people, including those who have: A physical impairment A learning disability and/ or learning difficulty A visual impairment A hearing impairment A mental health condition A long term physical health condition Research tells us these are the groups that we can have the biggest impact on. Even so, we’re always looking for ways to expand our reach to other impairments and long- term health conditions. But by focusing on our key groups, particularly on learning disability and physical disability, we have the best chance to grow disabled people’s participation in the sport. It also allows us to support players as they progress into the Paralympic discipline of wheelchair tennis. 9 @TennisFndation TennisFoundation1 Tennis Foundation Disability Strategy 2018-21 10 THE BENEFITS We’re fully behind strategies to get everyone in the nation active, as outlined in the Government’s ‘Sporting Future: BETTER MENTAL HEALTH, A New Strategy for an Active Nation’ and Sport England’s BETTER SOCIAL LIFE, ‘Towards an Active Nation (2016 to 2021)’. BETTER PERSONAL That includes a strong focus on inactivity, and disabled DEVELOPMENT 91% people represent the least active group in society. If we can get them playing or participating in tennis, we know it OF PEOPLE will have a positive impact on their wellbeing. say that tennis has improved their self-confidence. Here’s how: BETTER PHYSICAL HEALTH 84% OF PEOPLE 47% say that playing tennis has had a OF PEOPLE positive impact on their social network. tell us they feel less stressed. OVER 150 36% MINS of the players who play through the Tennis Foundation’s disability tennis work only meet the Chief Medical Officer’s target minimum of 150 minutes medium BREAKING DOWN We’ve also identified the positive intensity activity per week to achieve a healthy lifestyle because of the activities BARRIERS steps we can take that will encourage they do with us.