A top British wheelchair tennis player has started a campaign to make physical education (PE) more inclusive for children and young people with disabilities.
Ruby Bishop, 21, from Norwich, said she faced huge barriers to taking part in PE at school but is now rated the fourth-best player in Great Britain and has represented her country at global sporting events.
She has called on PE teachers to have a better understanding of the sports needs of children with special education needs and disabilities (Send).
A government spokeswoman said every child should benefit from quality sport both inside and outside of school, and that its Inclusion 2028 programme helped provide training for staff involved in providing PE for those with Send.
What was Bishop’s experience growing up?
Bishop is calling for key disabled equipment to be available in all schools and for more understanding of disabled sports by PE teachers [Phil Daley/BBC]
Bishop said: “I have cerebral palsy. I left high school in 2020 and I myself wasn’t included in PE lessons. Too many children are left out of PE because of their disability.
“I was never invited to the sports awards, despite my success outside of school representing Great Britain. That wasn’t celebrated within the PE department and I feel that it should have been.”
She said she had worked with lots of children and there was still a lack of knowledge in schools about disabled sports.
Bishop told BBC Politics East: “PE teachers need more education on disabilities, and disabilities and sport.
“I’ve seen first-hand how discrimination in PE can impact young people’s confidence and wellbeing.”
What is she calling for?
Bishop said: “I want it to be a legal requirement that every secondary school in the UK has a sports wheelchair in their sports cupboard, like they would have a football goal or a tennis net.
“PE is not just about a match; it teaches you many life skills. It gave me a sense of purpose in life.
“The PE curriculum needs to change to mould around disability sports.
“I would love to see everybody doing a session on sitting volleyball and trying to get it as inclusive as possible.”
Her campaign has been backed by her constituency MP Alice Macdonald (Lab, Norwich North) who is raising the issue in the House of Commons.
Norwich North MP Alice Macdonald (Labour) has backed Bishop’s campaign [Paul Moseley/BBC]
How many people take part in wheelchair tennis?
Nearly 17,000 monthly participants across more than 600 venues in Great Britain take part in wheelchair tennis, according to the Lawn Tennis Association.
Wheelchair tennis is played in more than 100 countries worldwide, according to the International Paralympic Committee’s overview of the sport.
Great Britain has had a lot of success at wheelchair tennis with British pair Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid winning the World Team Cup in 2015, 2019, 2023 and 2024.
What does the government say in response?
A Department for Education spokeswoman said: “This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity so every child can achieve and thrive.
“Regardless of their circumstances, background and abilities, every child should have access to quality sporting opportunities both inside and outside of school.
“That’s why as part of our Plan for Change, we’re investing up to £300,000 a year to deliver the Inclusion 2028 programme which upskills teachers to deliver high quality, inclusive PE school sport and physical activity to pupils with Send.”
BBC Politics East will be broadcast on Sunday 30 November at 10:00 GMT on BBC One in the East of England, and will be available after broadcast on BBC iPlayer.
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