Details have been released of the first ever console controller designed and made specifically for disabled gamers.
Microsoft says the Adaptive Controller will give people easier access to the games they love. More
Category Archives: Inclusion
England’s pioneering black head teachers
It is 50 years since the first wave of black head teachers took up their roles in English schools, yet ethnic minorities remain under-represented in senior roles.
BBC News Online examines the impact of these pioneers of the profession as they overcame prejudice and multiple rejections on their rise to the top of their field. More
Rooney Rule: ECB to implement BAME policy after South Asian study
The England and Wales Cricket Board is to implement a ‘Rooney Rule’ for all coaching roles in the national men’s, women’s and disabled teams.
It means that at least one applicant from black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds will be interviewed for future jobs.
That follows the biggest study the ECB has ever conducted into cricket in South Asian communities.
The Rooney Rule was implemented in the USA’s NFL in 2003.
Named after NFL diversity committee chairman Dan Rooney, it requires clubs in American football to interview at least one BAME candidate for each head coach or senior football operation vacancy.
The Football Association adopted a similar stance for positions in the England football set-up in January. More
Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month – May 2018
Deaf Awareness Week is from 14 -20 May and with this in mind we have chosen Rachel Shenton as our Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month.
Rachel is an actress appearing in many well know shows but most notably as Mitzeee Minniver in the TV show Hollyoaks. She also spent two years in the US TV show ‘Switched at Birth’.
Rachel got involved in raising awareness of deafness in the UK when her father became deaf whilst undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer. Following her father’s death Rachel learnt British Sign Language and in 2011 she became an Ambassador for the National Deaf Children’s Society. She has completed various events in aid of deaf societies including, skydiving, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and climbing the BT Tower. In 2011 she helped launch ‘Viewtalk’ a social networking website for deaf people.
In 2018 Rachel wrote and starred in a short film ‘The Silent Child’, about a young deaf girl, which won this year’s Oscar in the Live Action Short Film category.
To find out more about Deaf Awareness Week see here http://deafcouncil.org.uk/deaf-awareness-week/
To find out more about Rachel see here https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2053650/
Scottish Rugby and Girlguiding Scotland team up to get more girls into sport
Scotland are teaming up to empower more girls to discover the fun and fitness of rugby in a ground-breaking new partnership.
The new programme called ‘Guides into Rugby’ aims to encourage Girlguiding Scotland members age 10 to 14, many of whom may never have played rugby before, to experience Scottish Rugby’s Tartan Touch, a fun, simplified non-contact version of the sport.
As the leading charity for girls and young women in the country, with 50,000 members aged 5-25, it is hoped thousands of girls will have the opportunity to discover what rugby has to offer. More
British Ethnic Diversity Sports Awards: Ellie Downie and Maro Itoje triumph
Gymnast Ellie Downie and rugby union’s Maro Itoje were named sportswoman and sportsman of the year at the 2018 British Ethnic Diversity Sports Awards.
Downie, 18, won all-around gold at the European Championships last year, qualifying for every individual final.
Itoje, 23, had a successful year for Saracens, England and the British and Irish Lions.
Pioneering footballer Cyrille Regis, who died in January aged 59, was given a special recognition award. More
Cyrille Regis: Ex-West Brom and England forward dies aged 59
Cyrille Regis, the former West Brom and England forward, has died aged 59.
He scored 112 goals in 297 appearances for the Baggies before joining Coventry City for £250,000 in 1984.
He was a pioneer for black footballers in the game when he played alongside Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson at The Hawthorns. More
Football Association adopts ‘Rooney Rule’ as Martin Glenn outlines 2018 plans
The Football Association will interview at least one applicant from a black, Asian and minority ethnic background for future roles in the England set-up.
English football’s governing body will adopt its own version of the ‘Rooney Rule’ implemented in the NFL in 2003.
Chief executive Martin Glenn said the move showed the “FA is for all”.
“The FA wants to become a more inclusive organisation where the workforce more represents the people who play football today,” Glenn said.
Speaking to BBC Sport, he added: “What it will say is the opportunity to have a career beyond playing is something that the FA is serious about promoting.” More
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Autism at Christmas: ‘My son likes to lock himself in his room’
For many children Christmas is the most exciting time of the year, but for those with autism – and for the families who look after them – it can be an extraordinarily challenging period.
Some of the simplest joys associated with Christmas, such as opening presents or eating turkey, can become potential flashpoints as children who place huge importance on their routines find it hard to handle the change to their environment.
So how do families with autistic children make it through the festive season with happiness and harmony?
For Kevin Harrison, it is a time of year to be handled cautiously as his 11-year-old son Daniel struggles with the challenges of Christmas. More