Challenge the way you think about Disability

Feature image – Inaugural Team Australia at the 2022 Para Bowling World Cup.

International Day of People with Disability (https://www.idpwd.com.au/) this year is on 3 December, and Tenpin Bowling Australia joins people around the world celebrating the contributions and achievements of people with disability.

International Day of People with Disability day is an opportunity to promote awareness, understanding, and acceptance in our community.

We encourage you, your local centres, and groups, to access a range of resources to help with the celebrations. Ranging from running morning teas or tenpin bowling events, to sharing stories via social media posts with images, hashtags, and links.

To help celebrate International Day of People with Disability day this year (3 December), we are encouraging you to share your stories and experiences to celebrate people with disability and their stories.

The story we like the most will win a signed Australian bowling pin from the 2022 World Cup.

To share your stories and experiences, comment on a social post of ours or tag @tenpinbowlingaustralia on FB or Instagram, or email us at [email protected] for your chance to win!

We’re also encouraging sharing any modifications or inclusion measures you’re taking so more people can bowl!

By listening to the experiences of people with disability, and recognising their unique talents, skills, and interests, we can challenge our own perceptions about disability and make positive changes in the community.

Entries close at 5:00 pm AEDT, 8 December 2022.

The official United Nations theme for IDPwD 2022 is ‘Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world’.

As a sport, we’re fortunate to have the capacity to include a wide variety of participants, something we’re proud of.

• We’ve delivered the Qubica IBF 2022 Para World Cup on Sunshine Coast, with the Australian Team doing us all proud – read more
• We’ve created a National Inclusion Squad, providing a pathway into Australian Teams and representation, as well as access to High-Performance support – read more
• The National Inclusion Masters event was hosted by Orange Tenpin Bowl in NSW – read more
• In collaboration with the Australian Disabilities Tenpin Association, we delivered the 2022 National Disability Championships at Oc Tenpin Epping in Victoria where 285 bowlers took to the lanes – read more or view the stream of the Teams Challenge day by clicking here

We’ve partnered with many of Australia’s leading organisations who help us upskill, understand and celebrate people with disability including:

• Special Olympics Australia – who recognize our programs (Bowl Patrol, Bowl Abilities, Sporting Schools, coaching pathways, and league) as opportunities for participation- read more
• Scope Australia – who have included Tenpin Bowling Australia in their ‘Sport & Recreation for All’ project, gifting us access to online training and co-creating resources currently being piloted in a handful of centres- read more
• Disability Sport Australia – has us as guests at their conference this year, and continues to have bowling pop-ups at their Variety Active Inclusion Sports days. As well as a referral service ensuring the community has tenpin bowling as an option.
• Sport Inclusion Australia, Deaf Sport Australia, and Blind Sport Victoria alongside a number of smaller organisations such as Central Bayside Community Health Services who are providing employability opportunities by training bowlers to be coaches.  

Bowl Patrol – visual schedule and word board resources

We also acknowledge and continue to partner with tenpin bowling groups to do incredible work to grow the sporting community. Australian Disabilities Tenpin Inc, State and Territory based organisations and many more.

People with disability should always be encouraged to give tenpin bowling a go, in meaningful ways that meet their ambitions.

We know the impact this sport has on many lives and will continue to work hard to create resources, tools, teams, training, events and opportunities wherever possible.

Find out more by visiting the Bowl Abilities website here or reaching out: @BowlAbilitiesAus on social platforms or emailing us ut [email protected]