Join RYA Sailability
The challenge
1 in 5 people are disabled, with 70% aged over 50
Living with impairments, long term health conditions and getting older is part of the experience for a significant number of boaters and club members. Evidence shows that disabled people are twice as likely to be inactive as non-disabled people. Many people may not use the term disabled to describe their own identity, but they may still face barriers that limit their activities on the water.
Get more people on the water
By inspiring more disabled people to lead active lives through boating, the programme :
- supports clubs in welcoming disabled people
- reduces the barriers people face in getting on the water
5 benefits
Up and down the UK the programme is helping clubs, centres and classes to:
- Bring in new members
- Attract volunteers
- Bring people back to the sport, young and old
- Keep people sailing for longer
- Be at the heart of the community
It's not as hard as you think
There is just a few things you need
- A willingness to develop a lifetime passion for boating
- A commitment to removing barriers and getting people on the water
- A welcoming attitude where boating skills, friendship and a love of the sport is emphasised, not impairments
- To be part of the RYA, either an affiliated organisation or a recognised training centre
You don't necessarily need….
- Fully accessible facilities - but a commitment to improving access where you can is more important. The RYA can help you asses your venue, and be honest about what is and isn't accessible
- Specialist equipment - because not every disabled person needs a hoist, or a specialist boat. Start with what you have got, and make links with disabled people who could participate. You can add to the equipment as you go.
- Lots of disability knowledge - you know about boating and disabled people are experts in the support they need and that is a great start point. A healthy conversation enables you to plan for getting people on the water. And the RYA has a wealth of learning, advice and access to a whole community of clubs and centres up and down the country who have expertise and knowledge to share.
Increasing opportunities for disabled sailors to race and train, locally, nationally and internationally
Join the para sailing hub#MoreThanSailing - a nationally co-ordinated, locally populated campaign to put boating on the radar of disabled people
Sailability and Powerability – a scheme to help boaters master the skills and confidence needed for a lifetime on the water
On a range of topics from autism, communication, safety on the water, hoists, and assessing access
Disability Awareness and in depth topics explored throughout the year
Sailactivity – a digital evaluation tool to evidence the impact your club, class or centre is having on reducing inactivity, learning new skills, improving wellbeing and increasing social connections
A conversation about safety - a cornerstone of fun activities on the water for disabled people is making sure its safe, so enjoy this series of conversations, on the ground advice and videos on a variety of safety topics.
Find out how the RYA Sailability programme could work for you, and make sure you are part of the RYA Family
Everyone's different, so contact us if you have questions or want to find out more about RYA Sailability
Not yet part of the RYA family and want to be an Affiliated organisation - read more
RYA Training Centre recognition means you can deliver RYA courses and access a wealth of resources, read more
