A few weeks ago our very own Indigo Ryan had the privilege of attending the 2025 DISA Forum: Belonging in Sport – a powerful event that brought together leaders, athletes, and advocates committed to making sport truly inclusive.
Indi’s top 5 takeaways from the conference were:
1) Belonging isn’t a ‘nice to have’ – it’s a necessity
Keynote speaker Rana Hussain emphasised that true belonging goes beyond participation; it’s about ensuring people feel valued, safe and empowered in sport. This is particularly important in the current political climate with the news coming out of the United States at the moment, which has historically had a significant cultural influence on Australia.
2) Barriers still exist – but they can be tackled
The panel on discrimination and vilification highlighted that systemic change requires policy, education and allyship. Lived experiences must shape the solutions. With particular relevance to the Integrity space, the panellists spoke about how tribunals may not be the safest way to handle incidences of racism due to the distress they can cause to the complainant. We need to work together to find a better way of addressing and stamping out racism without causing further harm.
3) Community sport is where real change happens
From Mitch Gourley, Mitch Nivalis and Jade Narkle, Indi learned that local clubs play a critical role in fostering inclusive environments – whether through disability access, cultural awareness or diverse leadership. Indi loved listening to Mitch Nivalis’ story as a non-binary person who found joy and belonging in footy where they didn’t expect to find it.
4) Leadership must be ‘ALL-IN’ on inclusion
The ASC launched their ALL-INclusive Governance Roadmap that reinforced that diverse leadership leads to better outcomes and that representation matters – not just on the field but in boardrooms too. This new handbook will be a great resource for organisations who know that inclusion matters, but want guidance on how to actually implement change. Please reach out to SAPA if you want to discuss how we can work with you and use this tool to make meaningful change.
5) Disability inclusion requires a shift in mindset
Elle Steele’s keynote on “The Dance of Disability” was a standout reminder that accessibility isn’t just about facilities – it’s about attitudes, opportunity and seeing ability over limitations. Indi was particularly moved when, as a wheelchair user, Elle pointed out that the ramp to the stage had only been installed for her over the lunchbreak, rather than being available throughout the event. It was a great call-in to all organisers to have accessibility be part of BAU planning.
A huge thank you to the speakers and organisers for leading these crucial conversations. Now, the challenge is on us as the rest of the industry – How do we take these insights and turn them into action?