New research reveals Australians feel not enough representation of people living with a disability in sport

While Australians have a great respect and love for sport, a new online survey commissioned by Mastercard in partnership with Blind Sports Australia and conducted by YouGov between 15th and 20th December 2022, reveals Australians feel there is not enough representation of people living with a disability in sport.

With data weighted by age, gender and region to reflect the latest ABS population estimates, the research sample comprised

- a nationally representative sample of 1,048 Australians aged 18 years and over.
- a nationally representative sample of 1,006 Australians 18+ living with a disability (either limited a little or limited a lot in their day-to-day life).

Extrapolating from this sample, the research reveals that 57% of the population (approximately 11.4 million Australians) agree there is not enough representation of people living with a disability in sport.  

The research also revealed 70% Australians agree the sports industry has made progress to be more diverse, however there is still work to be done to ensure everyone feels like they belong.

Australians living with a disability agree it’s important for people of all abilities to be included (94%) in sport, however more than three-quarters (77%) report they’ve faced obstacles, such as travel, lack of information and lack of specialist equipment, to participate. Additionally, over 1 in 5 (22%) report concerns about feeling excluded and a further 52% don’t know any athletes with their disability being represented.

Australians living with a disability think it is important to have role models, and tennis is among one of the sports that players with a disability feel caters specifically to their needs.

As the official payment partner of Australian Open 2023, and one of the world’s top 5 businesses on DiversityInc’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity, Mastercard is championing inclusivity on and off the court by showcasing the game in a new light.

Mastercard Ambassador Alicia Molik took to the court with Courtney Webeck (Blind & Low Vision Australian B2 Champion and Mick Leigh (Blind & Low Vision Australian B3 Champion[7]) wearing blackout simulation glasses – simulating the game from the perspective of a person living with a vision impairment.  

The experience gave Molik a new-found appreciation for blind and low vision tennis and the need for growth in this code. She shared “throughout my career, I’ve been tested during matches, but this felt like a totally different ball game. The most challenging part for me, while simulating the lived experiences of a person living with a vision impairment, was picking up the sound when the ball was in flight – it made me feel like I was very incapable of a skill that ordinarily I’d be an expert at.”

Webeck added “you get to push yourself in many ways when playing tennis, as it’s a physically, mentally and technically a challenging sport. B2 vision impaired players rely on the bounce to know where the ball is. I feel on top of the world when I hit a good shot, whether it’s a forehand or backhand, cross court or down the line, but for me tennis means more than winning!”

Leigh shared “when I get out on the court, I don’t really focus on anything else, I focus on the game and go as hard as I can – and give it everything I have. Through the blind sports community, I was asked if I wanted to play a bit of tennis, then it rolled on from there – tennis has given me a new sense of independence and an identity that I didn’t once have.”

With different codes of tennis gaining awareness and traction, Australians living with a disability say it is important for them to have role models represented in sport (57%). Representation is not only key for ensuring people living with a disability feel included, but to help them feel inspired to participate (37%). Beyond this, Australians living with a disability believe education (86%), awareness (76%), and major events (75%) have the power to make people living with a disability feel more included.

Richard Wormald, Division President, Australasia, Mastercard noted “Mastercard’s research has shown that only one in 10 Australians living with a disability believe that sensory disabilities (including vision impairments and hearing loss) are represented – this is far lower than other disabilities. As the official payment partner of Australian Open 2023, Mastercard is championing inclusivity on and off the court, ensuring everyone who is passionate about tennis feels like they belong.

 “With tennis being one of the top three sports for inclusivity, the Australian Open is a brilliant event to champion belonging in sport, making it priceless for all.”

To model this, during the Australian Open, Webeck and Leigh will play a match at the National Tennis Centre between opponents within their classification. The Australian Open will celebrate its inaugural All Abilities Day this year (Tue 24th January). To support inclusion at a grassroots level, Mastercard is funding a Blind Sports Australia (BSA) grant to grow blind and low vision tennis across the country.

Matthew Clayton, Chief Executive Officer, Blind Sports Australia added “we continue to work closely with our state members and Tennis Australia to grow participation in blind and low vision tennis, among other sports, across Australia. Through this grant, and partnership, we aim to support aspiring or potential athletes across all levels to have a swing at tennis. It is only through representation and progress, such a match of blind and low vision during the Australian Open 2023, we’re able to raise awareness for the game and encourage inclusivity for all.”

As part of its work to drive inclusivity on and off the court, Mastercard will launch Touch Cards in Australia this year. The three cards (debit, credit, prepaid) have unique notches to help blind and low vision cardholders distinguish their cards.

Blind Sports Australia (BSA) is a not-for-profit national sporting organisation for blind and vision impaired sport. BSA helps create pathways and opportunities for people to participate in blind sport from grassroots community level, right up to elite competition at national and international level.