Strengthening disability sport across Aotearoa
Disability Sport Aotearoa New Zealand exists to strengthen and connect our national network of disability sport organisations, so that more disabled people across Aotearoa can be active and thrive.
We support regional organisations to share knowledge, build capability, strengthen connections and have a stronger collective voice for disability sport and recreation.
Our vision
Every disabled person in Aotearoa who wants to be active, can be.
We want disability to never be a barrier to being active, participating in sport or recreation, or finding a welcoming place to belong.
Our values
Member-led
Our member organisations are at the heart of what we do. We listen, collaborate and respond to what our network needs.
Connected
We bring people and organisations together to share knowledge, experience and ideas.
Trusted
We work with integrity and use our collective experience to represent the interests of our network.
Inclusive
We believe every disabled person should have the opportunity to be active, participate and belong.
Our priorities to 2030
Our Statement of Strategic Direction 2026-2030 focuses our work on three key areas.
1. Stronger member organisations
We will help member organisations become stronger, more capable and better positioned for the future.
This includes sharing resources, supporting capability development and governance, and helping new staff and board members understand the sector.
2. A connected, influential national network
We will strengthen relationships across the network and with organisations including Sport NZ, Paralympics New Zealand, Halberg Foundation, Special Olympics, Blind Sport NZ and national sport organisations.
By working together, we can share a collective voice and influence decisions that affect disability sport and recreation.
3. More disabled people active
We will support our members to grow inclusive opportunities and help create stronger pathways into sport, recreation and physical activity.
We will also build our understanding of participation across the network, identify gaps and use shared insights to help more disabled people get active.
What this looks like in practice
Our work includes:
Supporting member capability and organisational development
Connecting regional organisations and sharing best practice
Providing opportunities for staff and leaders to learn from one another
Building relationships across the wider sport and recreation sector
Developing shared resources, data and insights
Supporting inclusive opportunities and pathways
Representing the collective interests of our network
Advocating for better outcomes for disabled people
