On Thursday, October 3rd, Disability Sport & Recreation held its annual Victorian Disability Sport & Recreation Awards. This prestigious event aims to honour, celebrate, and recognise outstanding individuals, programs, and achievements within Victoria’s sporting community.
Disability Sport and Recreation (DSR) is a not-for-profit organisation whose vision is to create a Victoria where all people with disabilities can freely choose and access any sport or active recreation they wish to engage in. For over 60 years, DSR has collaborated with various sporting bodies, including Frankston Basketball, to foster inclusive and accessible sporting opportunities.
Frankston & District Basketball Association (FDBA) was proud to be recognised at the event, winning the Sport Initiative of the Year for its Blind and Low Vision Basketball program. The program, now called Bell Ball, provides an accessible and enjoyable sporting environment for participants with vision impairments.
Bell Ball also made a recent feature on the House of Wellness program earlier this month – which can be found here: How basketball is becoming accessible for the blind
The award was presented on Thursday night to FDBA’s CEO Wayne Holdsworth and Programs Support Officer Tanya Thomas.
Wayne Holdsworth shared his excitement about the award, stating:
“The FDBA are absolutely delighted to be recognised by DSR for this prestigious award for our Vision Impaired Basketball Program. It started with an idea and has now developed into a fully-fledged program that is growing by the session. We congratulate all the nominees for their excellent work and we also acknowledge our Inclusion Officer Tanya Thomas for her outstanding contribution.”
Tanya Thomas, who has been a key driver behind the program, added:
“Being nominated and recognised for our work in the inclusion space is amazing, being named as the winner is phenomenal, considering the other amazing programs and events that were finalists,” Tanya said.
“Thank you to Liz Tesone, CEO of Disability Sport and Recreation and the judging panel for naming FDBA as the recipient of this award.”
Frankston Basketball aims to introduce even more inclusive initiatives, providing pathways for people with disabilities to engage in the sport they love.
Frankston Basketball is also excited to acknowledge OTEP, its new sponsor for inclusion programs. Their support will allow FDBA to continue expanding these vital programs and ensuring that basketball remains a sport for all.