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Disabilities Participation Policy
Sharley Park Girls Gymnastic and Trampoline Club
Welcome Participation Of People With Disabilities.
Inclusion
British Gymnastics expects coaches to include people
with disabilities into the existing classes they provide.
Coaches are reminded that they do not need to hold any
additional qualifications in order to accept an individual with a
disability into an existing class. Some guidelines to help coaches are
offered in the British Gymnastics- Club Coach- Course and Resource Manual.
The term ‘Disability’ includes those people with:
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Physical incapacity
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Sight impairment
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Hearing impairment
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Learning disabilities
Disability Discrimination Act (1995)
Legal Obligations Towards People with Disabilities
British Gymnastics reminds coaches that the terms of
the Disability Act (1995) they are considered to be service providers
(anyone who provides goods, facilities or services to the public whether
these services are paid for or are free). This means that coaches are duty
bound to comply with the duties placed on them by the act.
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Avoid treating any person with a disability less
favourably than other members of the public.
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Make reasonable changes to practice, policies and
procedures in order to make it easier for disabled people to use the
services provided.
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Take reasonable steps to remove, alter or provide
alternative means of avoiding physical features of premises that make it
impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use services
provided.
British Gymnastics understands that reasonable changes
and adjustments would include minor work such as improving lighting,
helpful colour schemes and accessible signage. British Gymnastics
recognise that the service providers may be able to justify not carrying
out major changes and adjustments ( such as installation or modification
of automatic doors, ramps, wheelchair lifts or accessible toilet
facilities) if it would incur unreasonable levels of expenditure, service
disruption or impracticality to make the change.
Grounds for Refusing to
Include
British Gymnastics expects people with disabilities to
be included within existing classes, however it accepts that there are
some circumstances that may constitute reasonable grounds for refusing.
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Presence of health concerns that contra-indicate
participation on medical grounds (such as conditions known to be
associated with specific disabilities).
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Disabled persons may need to provide evidence form a
medical person to verify that it is appropriate for the individual to
participate in a particular activity.
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Identification of an unacceptable level of risk being
posed to the health, safety or well being of: either the person with a
disability, or others they are likely to come on contact with, if included
within existing classes.
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Recognition of the necessity to irrevocably change
programme(s) provided in existing classes in order to accommodate the
person with a disability within them.
In the event that a coach refuses to accept a person
with a disability into existing classes British Gymnastics will only
support that coach if they do so on reasonable grounds that can be shown
to be supported by evidence.
Classes Specifically for
People with Disabilities
In acknowledgement that it is not always possible to
include people with disabilities in mainstream gymnastics classes. British
Gymnastics supports the view that there must be scope to provide classes
specifically for people with disabilities, except where there are medical
grounds that would contra-indicate participation. All coaches who intend
to deliver classes specifically for people with disabilities must hold the
GMPD add-on module or stand alone disability qualification.
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