Disability Sport Conference 2024
Conference / Exhibition
The 2024 Disability Sport Conference will focus on how we can promote human rights, diversity and inclusion in disability sport.
The conference is aimed at anyone with an interest in using sport for disabled people as a tool for health, inclusion, peace or development.
The event will be based around four themes:
- Disability sport, human rights and social inclusion
- Sport and health for disabled people
- Paralympic and disability sport legacies
- Disability sport for peace and development
The full programme can be viewed when clicking the 'book your place' button at the top of this page.
The conference will be one of the outputs from the EventRights project, which is supported by the European Union.
Some of the research that will be presented received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement number 823815.
Call for abstracts
Find out how to submit an abstract for the Disability Sport Conference 2024.
Key note speakers
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Craig Spence, Chief Brand and Communications Officer, International Paralympic Committee
Craig is responsible for all brand, communications, engagement and content functions at the IPC and acts as the organisation’s official spokesperson.
His work in helping to reposition Paralympic sport as high-performance sport has enabled the Paralympic Games to grow into the world’s third biggest sport event
Through using the Games as a platform to transform attitudes towards disability, the Paralympics are now regarded as the world’s number one sport event for driving social inclusion. In 2021, he helped spearhead the launch of WeThe15, a campaign which aspires to be the world’s biggest human rights movement for the world’s 1.2 billion persons with disabilities.
In 2016 he was awarded European PR Professional of the Year, while the IPC Media and Communications team he leads was awarded in-house team of the year at the European PR Excellence Awards. He was named in the 2015 Leaders in Sport list as one of 40 Global Leaders under 40.
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Charmaine Hooper, Chief Executive of World Abilitysport (previously the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation, IWAS)
Charmaine is the Chief Executive of “World Abilitysport” (previously the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation) and has been involved in disability sport since 1983 at all levels and in a diverse number of sports across all impairment groups.
She worked and volunteered in South Africa before moving to the UK, where she worked for Disability Sport England, prior to taking on her current role.
Practising as a nurse for many years, equipped her well for a career that also included being an Officer in the South African National Defence Force Medical Services (SAMS) providing aftercare for soldiers with disabilities.
She works tirelessly to provide opportunities to persons with disabilities to compete in sport in order to improve their quality of life and broaden their horizons.
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Vicky Hope-Walker, CEO of National Paralympic Heritage Trust
Vicky has over 30 years senior management experience working in the heritage and arts sector with local and national organisations. She has a long-standing interest in inclusion and the use of digital technology in engagement. Since 2007 she has been specialising in disability sport history, and from 2014 was contracted to develop the National Paralympic Heritage Trust. She has been the CEO of the Trust since 2017 seeing them through a development stage to today as an established organisation, with nationally styled museum accreditation. During this time the Trust have won two awards for digital engagement innovation and are recognised for their expertise in heritage disability access.
Registration
Please book your place through the button at the top of this page. Information about fees, allocation of student places and VISAs can be found below.
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Fees
Early Bird (before 1 March 2024)
- Full registration fee: £275
- Student registration fee - presenting paper: £175
- Student registration fee - not presenting paper: £225
Standard Registration Fee (after 1 March 2024)
- Full registration fee: £350
- Student registration fee - presenting paper: £225
- Student registration fee - not presenting paper: £275
Included in the fees
The registration fee includes:
- Attendance at all plenary and parallel sessions (All keynote addresses as well as paper presentations, workshops and posters)
- Delegate pack
- Lunches and morning and afternoon coffee breaks on the days of the conference.
- In-person conference session presentation (which involves submitting a presentation proposal and, if accepted, inclusion in the conference programme)
Not included in the fees
Please note that the registration fee does not include travel to and from Coventry for the conference or accommodation whilst in Coventry. It is anticipated that hotel costs will be between £60 and £90 per night depending upon your choice of hotel.
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Student places
The Disability Sport Conference has a limit of 80 delegates, and 12 of these places will be allocated to students. Students will be expected to provide proof of student status upon registration and will be expected to act as session chairs for paper presentations.
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Visa or invitation letters
Anyone requiring an invitation letter or letter to support a visa application can request one upon payment of the full registration fee. However, all enquiries or questions regarding Visas should be directed to your relevant local government, embassy or immigration office.
Travel and accommodation
Visit our travel and accommodation webpage for useful information about getting to and staying in Coventry.
Enquiries
For enquiries please contact Dr Ian Brittain
