All Ability Sporting Activities in Queensland

Wheelchair basketball is one of the fastest growing sports for people with a disability. It can be a fun social pastime or a highly competitive sport depending on what you are looking for. If classified, players also have the option to compete at regional, state, national and international level, including at the Paralympics.

Sporting Wheelies & Disabled Association offers wheelchair basketball programs in Brisbane and Toowoomba,  as well as other regional areas. All new association members will receive their first two sessions for free. Find out more here.

Suncoast Spinners Wheelchair Basketball Inc run a six-week wheelchair basketball program for children aged 5-16 years. The program is free, although Suncoast Spinners recommend that players become members of the club. They also hold Come & Try Sessions every Wednesday night from 6:30pm – 8:30pm at USC Sports Stadium for beginners and social players. All new members are eligible for two free sessions. Find out more about the programs and locations here.

Touch Football Australia runs the Indomie Noodles All Abilities Touch Football Program. The program is inclusive and provides an opportunity for people with physical or intellectual disability to engage in community sport and learn touch skills.

Family members, carers, friends and the community are welcome to get involved in the program which is available at multiple locations across South East Queensland. You can find the program at Brisbane Metropolitan Touch Association, UQ Rebels, Gold Coast Touch Football, Northern Gold Coast Touch, Palm Beach Touch, and Redlands Touch. Find out more here.

Brisbane Metropolitan Touch Association offers the All Abilities Program for anyone aged five and above. The program consists of a series of rotational activities which aim to the develop the core skills of touch football. The goal is for participants to be able to play full games of touch football by the end of the six-week program.

The program costs $60 and those who require additional support to participate can have a carer assist at no additional cost. The program is at run at Whites Hill Reserve, Camp Hill.  Find out more here or follow their Facebook page for updates and season information.

The Brisbane Paralympic Football Program offers people of all ages and abilities the opportunity to get active and play football (soccer). The program is run by experienced coaches and volunteers and has been designed to help participants develop soccer and teamwork skills, whilst having fun and making friends.

Weekly training is held at Teralba Park, Osborne Road, Mitchelton. Parents and siblings are encouraged to get involved and be a member of community sport. Join BPFP by clicking here and completing a player registration form. See the latest action and updates via the BPFP Facebook page.

Tennis is an exciting sport that can be played socially with friends and family or competitively. There are a number of venues around Australia that offer tennis to people in wheelchairs as well as coaching.  ‘Tennis Queensland coordinates weekly wheelchair tennis training sessions at the Queensland Tennis center in Brisbane under the guidance of the state Wheelchair tennis coach. You can contact your local tennis club for information about ‘come and try’ days to test out the sport for yourself. To find a tennis club near you, visit Tennis Queensland.

Wheelchair rugby is an exciting, contact team sport designed for people with a physical disability. Players of all abilities are welcome to play at a local level. Sporting Wheelies has opportunities for new players to improve their skills through weekly programs, training sessions and games. Queensland Cyclones Wheelchair Rugby team have a social program on Wednesdays at YMCA Bowen Hills from 5pm. Contact Sporting Wheelies for more information or register here.

Suncoast Spinners offer a Wheelchair Rugby Program at USC Sports Stadium, Sippy Downs. The Come & Try Sessions are held every Saturday morning between 10am – 12pm (subject to stadium availability). The first two sessions of the program are free. Children are welcome at the Wheelchair Rugby Program, with participants as young as four already getting involved in the fun team sport. Find out more about the program, including times and registration details here.

The Disabled Surfers Association of Australia has programs for people with disability to engage in fun and safe surfing classes. DSAA caters for all abilities and anyone willing to have a go, with their Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast branches hosting 18 ‘smiles on dials’ events per year. Participants can learn to surf whilst under direct supervision from trained volunteers and beach marshals. Membership is $20 a year and enables you to attend any or all branch events. Find out more here or visit the DSAA Facebook page to see the latest action.

Paralympics Australia host Come & Try Day’s around the country, for a variety of para-sports.

The QLD Multi-sport Come & Try Day is the perfect opportunity for those aged 10+ to learn more about the sports and programs on offer in Queensland, and connect with local clubs.

The para-sports available for trial include: Para-table tennis, Para-swimming, Para-canoe, Wheelchair tennis, Para-triathlon, Boccia, Goalball, Para-powerlifting, Wheelchair rugby, Wheelchair basketball, Para-archery, Para-cycling, and Para-ice hockey.

Entry and participation are free, although registrations are essential. Register now.

Cycling is an inclusive sport for people of all abilities. On a competitive level, it includes four groups of handicaps; blind and visually impaired riders, people with cerebral palsy, locomotors disability and hand cycling. While these are the official handicaps cycling is an accessible sport that anyone can have a go at.  It can also be a very social sport and is a great way to get out and meet new people.

One sport you may not have considered when looking at all ability sporting opportunities is sailing. Sailability Australia is a program available at some sailing clubs that provides support and an established network of volunteers and equipment to assist people of all abilities to get into sailing. If you want to explore Sailing Australia opportunities in your area check out the discover sailing website.

Many golf clubs around the country now offer the opportunity to use a paragolfer. This is an all terrain wheelchair that assist the golfer to stand in order to hit the ball. Many golf clubs around Queensland allow you to try the wheelchair out on come and try days. For more information on paragolf have a look at their official website.

Para-powerlifting is a sport that tests strength, power and coordination. For participants with vision impairment, competition consists of a bench press, squat and deadlift. While amputees and those with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury or other physical disabilities complete only the bench press.

Although para-powerlifting can be done at any gym, Sporting Wheelies have specialised para-benches available in Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast as well as other regional locations. It is recommended that new athletes complete a general fitness/ strength and conditioning program before starting Para Powerlifting.

Boccia is a bowling game designed for players of all abilities, including those with loss of arm function and hand movement. Sporting Wheelies offers two free trial sessions for anyone that wants to try Boccia and has not previously attended a program.

Weekly programs are available at Brisbane City Boccia Club, Redlands Boccia Club, Moreton Bay Boccia Club, Gold Coast Boccia club and in other regional locations. Players must be an Association member to regularly attend, find out more or register here.

Goalball is a team sport for vision impaired and sighted athletes alike. Working in teams of three, blindfolded participants throw the ball toward the opponent’s goal. While the game has many social and physical benefits, communication, coordination and strategy is required to succeed.

Sporting Wheelies offers Goalball programs in Brisbane and two other regional locations throughout the state. New Goalball players will receive their first two sessions free and have access to equipment when attending the program, including eyeshades and arm/knee pads.

Dancing is a great way to move, get creative, have fun and be part of a community. All Abilities Australia (AAA) offer individualised and inclusive dance classes for people with physical and intellectual disabilities, sensory disorders and AUSLAN users. AAA offer recreational, performance, school-based and holiday programs at three Brisbane locations, including Kenmore, Stafford and Acacia Ridge. Teaching Rhythm Works Integrative Dance, a worldwide syllabus for students with disabilities, the classes are suited for toddlers through to adults. Find out more here.

Inside Outside Dance is an NDIS registered dance school for people with disability. They offer 21 classes a week at multiple locations across South East Queensland, including Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Redland Bay, and the Gold and Sunshine Coast. They also have online classes which can accessed from anywhere in the world, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to learn skills in a safe and fun environment! Find out more here.

If you or someone you know is a bit of a thrill seeker, waterskiing might just be the sport to try. Most water skiing clubs are willing to help teach people of all abilities how to waterski. This is a fun way to get out and try something active and exciting this summer. Lake Kurwongbah water ski club hosts a come a try day two times per year which is a great way to have a bit of fun trying out the sport and seeing if it might be your new hobby.

These are some suggestion on sports you might want to try out if you are looking for a fun new all ability pass time. However, this is not even close to the full list of options available to those looking to get out and challenge themselves by trying something new. If you’d like to know more about all ability sporting opportunities in Australia there are a number of organizations you can get in contact with including Sporting Wheelies and Sport Inclusion Australia.