Access Compass guide
Find inclusive sport and physical activity
Find current inclusive opportunities, then check the session, coach, equipment, support, venue and safeguarding arrangements before deciding whether it works for you.
Published by Access Compass · How we research and check guides
Who it's for: everyone, Families, Parents & carers, Children & young people, Adults, Professionals
✓ Verified Last checked 19 Jul 2026. Always confirm details with the service before relying on them.
The road travelled
Where we came from
Disabled people were often offered a choice between exclusion from mainstream activity and a small number of impairment-specific sessions. Information focused on the sport or building, while coaching, communication, equipment, cost and confidence barriers stayed hidden.
Where we are now
Every Body Moves evolved from the Parasport platform in 2023 and connects disabled people with inclusive sport and physical activity across the UK. Activity Alliance, Sport England and community organisations provide evidence, design standards and inclusion learning, but each listed session still needs a direct suitability check.
Where we are heading
Progress means disabled people can choose ordinary or disability-specific activity on their own terms, with reliable access details, trained staff, adaptable equipment and affordable local sessions. Sport, health and directory systems should share current facts without reducing people to an impairment label.
People and campaigns that moved this forward
- Disabled participants and co-designers — Shaped Every Body Moves around real motivations, barriers and ways of being active rather than a medical view of disability.
- ParalympicsGB — Developed Parasport and launched Every Body Moves as a UK-wide route into inclusive activity.
- Activity Alliance — Provides disabled-led evidence, resources and a national voice for inclusion in sport and activity.
- Sport England — Publishes current guidance for designing and operating safe, welcoming, accessible and inclusive sports facilities.
- Access Sport and community clubs — Build practical disability-inclusion skills in coaches, officials and volunteers and create local opportunities.
Step by step
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Start with a current opportunity finder
Search Every Body Moves by location and the kind of activity you want. Also check the local Active Partnership, council leisure service, national governing body and trusted disability organisations because no single platform lists every club, session or informal activity.
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Choose the session, not only the sport
The same sport can be delivered as a competitive club, beginner group, rehabilitation session, family activity, disability-specific session or inclusive mainstream class. Check age, experience, pace, group size, goals and whether the session is actually open to a new participant.
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Contact the organiser directly
Treat a directory listing as a route to the provider, not a guarantee. Confirm the next date, venue, price, trial arrangements, waiting list and access information. Explain what would make participation possible without being required to disclose unrelated medical history.
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Ask how inclusion works in practice
Ask how coaches adapt instructions, rules, time, communication and activities; what disability-inclusion training or experience they have; and whether the participant can pause, observe, use a quieter space or build up gradually. An accessible entrance does not prove an inclusive session.
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Match equipment and support
Confirm specialist or adapted equipment, size and weight limits, fitting, transfers, storage and whether personal equipment is permitted. Agree whether a parent, personal assistant, interpreter, guide or support worker can take part and whether that place is free.
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Check the whole venue journey
Use the provider and venue pages to confirm parking or public transport, step-free routes, surfaces, changing, toilets or Changing Places, sensory conditions, seating, assistance dogs and emergency evacuation. Ask which parts of the venue the session actually uses.
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Confirm safeguarding and personal support
For children or adults at risk, ask who leads safeguarding, how staff and volunteers are checked and supervised, photography rules, changing arrangements, medication or emergency plans and how concerns are reported. A directory listing is not a safeguarding endorsement.
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Use a trial to decide on your terms
Agree what a successful first visit looks like and review it with the participant afterwards. If the session is not suitable, ask about a practical adjustment or another local route; do not treat one poor match as evidence that the person cannot enjoy that activity.
Useful links
Source: https://everybodymoves.org.uk/