To mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a disabled archer shares her experience of the road to inclusion.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities is celebrated every year on 3 December. The day is about promoting the rights and wellbeing of people with disabilities at every level of society, and to raise awareness of the situation of disabled people in all aspects of life.
Archery is one of the original Paralympic sports and is often celebrated for its inclusivity.
But what is it like to be a disabled club archer in the UK today? Deborah Illman-Roberts shares her story, in her own words.
"The road to inclusion is a topic very close to my heart. After contracting Covid in March 2020, I am now a wheelchair user the majority of the time. When I began using a wheelchair, I didn't see it as giving up, to me it was a symbol of getting my freedom back. In October 2022, I completed my archery beginners' course remembering it was an activity I had enjoyed during a taster session back in the summer of 2019.
Archery is an inclusive sport. There are some amazing facilities within the UK, and equally amazing people who are prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to ensure it remains so, but what does it mean to be inclusive?
During 2024 I have had the privilege of attending many indoor and outdoor competitions and have never been made to feel anything other than welcome at the majority of clubs. I've also encountered some tricky situations, venues I've arrived at to find there is no wheelchair access to the building, or there is no wheelchair accessible toilet. This is where I've seen people, complete strangers, fellow archers and other members of the archery community go above and beyond. Does fifteen minutes with some random offcuts of wood, some brought together screws and a handheld drill make an ideal ramp? No, but they made me as an archer feel welcome, cared about and valued. What came out of that particular day though was something much bigger; the club held their hands and admitted that not having disabled members at their own club, they simply hadn't thought about this. It gets better though, that club have now vowed to purchase a ramp manufactured for their specific access requirements and will have a wheelchair accessible portaloo available at all future shoots should an archer require one.
Let's not forget here, not all disabilities are visible. The need for the privacy and dignity of an accessible toilet should never be denied to anyone, regardless of the reasons for their need. If clubs are not able to provide appropriate facilities, all that's needed is one line of text on a tournament prospectus stating as such. To my mind there seems to be an easy fix; a standard question on every entry form asking for additional accessibility requirements. One extra question for archers and a little bit of honesty from tournaments organisers.
What do I hope to be gained out of these experiences? Well, a wise man recently said to me "out of something negative, there's often a step forward into something better". All in all, I hope all clubs can learn but also truly understand just what is required to be inclusive. We can't expect a magic wand to be waved but please no longer assume, ask archers what they need and be honest if you can't provide it. Archers, clubs, counties, societies and regions, the support is out there for you, you only have to ask.
Archery GB are working with the Fletchers' Trust to increase our support to clubs and volunteers, to help make the sport more accessible.
You can also apply for financial support directly from the Fletchers' Trust, who have a history of supporting the disabled archery community at all levels.
Clubs can find out about disability grants to improve accessibility via this website.
You can also find resources and information about disability archery here.
