Leeds Beckett University will host a one-day Disability and Sport Workforce & Leadership Symposium: Advancing Inclusive Governance in Practice on Wednesday 3rd June 2026 between 9:30–15:30, bringing together colleagues from across sport, policy, and research to address one of the sector’s most persistent challenges: disability inclusion within leadership and governance.
While disability has become increasingly visible within sport—particularly in relation to participation and access—representation within senior roles remains limited. Recent workforce data from the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity indicates that disabled people make up just 13% of the sport and physical activity workforce, compared to approximately 23% of the UK working-age population. The gap highlights a structural issue within recruitment pathways, workplace cultures, and leadership progression across the sector.
Hosted by Leeds Business School and the Centre for Social Justice in Sport and Society, the symposium is designed to move beyond identifying these inequalities and instead focus on how organisations can respond in practice. The day will bring together practitioners, governing bodies, advocacy organisations and researchers to explore how evidence-led approaches can support more inclusive organisational change.
A keynote address will be delivered by Disability Sport Wales, whose work continues to shape thinking around inclusive leadership and governance across sport.
The symposium will also feature three applied workshops:
- Recruitment, Retention and Leadership Pathways (Dr Stefan Lawrence)
Drawing on recent research developed in partnership with the Disability Football Collective, this session will explore how organisations can strengthen recruitment pipelines and create sustainable pathways into leadership for disabled professionals. - Creating Disability Belonging in Sport Organisations (Dr Annette Stride)
This session will use the Belonging in Sport Framework to examine how organisational cultures shape the everyday experiences of disabled employees, with a focus on practical interventions. - Embedding Change and Monitoring Progress (Dr Dan Bates)
The final workshop will support participants in developing simple, actionable plans to embed inclusion and evidence organisational progress.
- Recruitment, Retention and Leadership Pathways (Dr Stefan Lawrence)
Alongside the formal sessions, the event will provide structured networking opportunities, enabling collaboration between those working to advance disability inclusion across the sport sector.
The symposium will take place at the Rose Bowl, Leeds city centre, from 9:30am to 3:30pm. A small £10 registration fee applies to cover catering and delivery costs.
Registration is now open:
https://onlinestore.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/conferences-and-events/conferences-events-memberships/conferences/sport-disability-workforce-leadership-symposium
