UT Center for Sport, Peace & Society's Global Disability Rights Advocacy Project
August 7, 2020
In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, the University of Tennessee Center for Sport, Peace, and Society (CSPS) highlighted its new Global Disability Rights Advocacy Project.
The project looks to protect, promote and celebrate persons with disabilities, grounded in a one-of-a-kind interactive global map that showcases laws that protect the rights of persons with disabilities worldwide. It also tracks the progress of the Paralympics, Deaflympics and Special Olympics movements and highlights CSPS alumni who are working and advocating for progress around the world.
Led by Dr. Sarah Hillyer, who also directs Sport 4 Peace, the organization is committed to creating a more peaceful, equitable, and inclusive world through sport and education. Since 2012, it has hosted leadership development programs, engaged in global outreach, produced story-telling projects and conducted academic research in the name of sport for development and peace.
Named as an ESPN Humanitarian Award Winner in 2018, the CSPS has impacted over 350,000 people from underserved communities across 83 countries. Uniquely-situated at a Research I institution, the CSPS is committed to creating a more stable, equitable, and inclusive world through sport-based social innovation and programming. They offer global leaders the tools needed to make a positive difference in their communities — from grassroots levels to governance — and help spark social progress, locally and abroad.
Current UT students Veronica Allen and Taylor Winkel made substantial contributions to the development and design of the global map, showcasing the commitment of students and alumni alike to the project. Included in the project is a blog series that highlights stories of change and a toolkit to help advocates champion disability rights in their schools, communities and workplace no matter where they live in the world.
The ADA forever changed the landscape of inclusion and accessibility in the United States. Taking the message worldwide, CSPS hope these resources will help citizens gain a greater understanding of the intersection between sport and policy for persons with disabilities, develop a deeper appreciation for the importance of inclusion, and move people to action as stronger advocates for the inclusion of persons with disabilities, especially within the sport sector.
Resources for the project which launched July 13 can be accessed here.