Accessibility

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Accessibility for Aboriginal people is a significant barrier and factor in participation of sport. Cost, travel, location, distance and time are some of the greatest factors which make sport harder to access, especially for those living in remote and rural communities. Sport should be an activity which is easily accessible for everyone, however is not accessible within many Aboriginal communities. Inaccessibility to sport lowers the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, especially children, participating in a sport and remaining physically fit.

There are some initiatives which aim to target these communities to provide sport opportunities however they are few and often cannot be funded adequately to reach a high number of communities. Before understanding the foundations and initiatives which give better access to First Nation communities, a better understanding of the reasons for limited accessibility needs to occur.

Cost

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Sport, especially organised sport can often come at a very high cost. The costs for many sports in Australia are extremely high, even at grassroots levels, with the ASC estimating that most families will spend $600 to $1500 for each child, and for many Aboriginal peoples, this is not affordable.

A significant income disparity exists between Aboriginal peoples and non-Indigenous people, with over a third of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults in 2021 living in the lowest 20% income bracket, compared to one in five non-Indigenous adults.

There are many different things which contribute to these costs including registration, travel, uniforms, coaching and equipment and with many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in the lower income brackets, it prevents them from being able to play a sport. Adding to this, as children grow, they are constantly in need of larger clothes and appropriate footwear, making sport more expensive with time.

On top of these costs, travel and accommodation which is explained further can also be costly for First Nations people.

Sport is meant to be a fun, competitive outlet for people, however in many cases, young First Nations people are forced to miss out on these physical, mental, and social benefits of sport simply because it's not financially accessible. The lack of affordable local sporting programs and facilities can make the situation even more challenging, further limiting opportunities for regular participation and long-term development of skills in sport.

Travel and location of facilities is also another factor of accessibility. First Nations peoples make up 19.6% of people living in remote areas and 47.1% in very remote areas, however only making up 3.8% of the total Australian population. With remote and rural areas having a higher percentage population of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, many First Nations peoples have limited access to sport due to their location.

Due to the remoteness of many First Nations communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in these communities have limited or a lack of sporting opportunities. Sporting facilities and clubs provide opportunity and foster a positive environment to play a sport or participate in physical activity, with remoteness making it difficult for individuals to have a place to play sport.

Adding to this, opportunities and funding for local competition are a lot smaller and fewer in comparison to competitions in metropolitan areas. To be able to compete and train in a team, travel would often have to be considered as an option to have access to sport. However, there are also links between the cost factor of accessibility, as it can often cost a lot of money to travel as well as for accommodation.

For some athletes to have better opportunities in sport, families will have to move off Country or send children away to boarding school. Due to financial barriers this is not an option for many families.

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Location

Time

Time is another factor of accessibility to sport that can limit participation in sport for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Especially for families facing financial stress or living in remote and rural area, time is something which they may not have a lot of.

Parents and caregivers work long or irregular hours, often balancing multiple responsibilities, which can make it hard to transport children to training or games or even have time to participate in their own sport or engage in physical activity.

In some communities, sporting opportunities may only be available far from home, which requires long travel times that aren’t realistic for many families as it is not only time consuming but expensive. Additionally, when sport is not available locally, the time commitment needed just to access it can discourage ongoing involvement, especially if families are also managing school, work, or cultural obligations.