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Basketball WA is pleased to announce a long-term partnership with the Insurance Commission of Western Australia. The Insurance Commission aims to prevent or minimise the risk of injuries, improve rehabilitation and care outcomes of Insurance Commission clients, and enable enhanced inclusion opportunities within the community.

Basketball WA and the Insurance Commission believe grass-roots community sport plays a critical role in all these aspects. With its community reach, community sport can play a significant part in socialising and normalising safety. The Belt Up Campaign is an example of this and highlights a critical aspect of safety on our roads, particularly in regional WA. With over 50,000 members regularly participating in the game, including 20,000 in regional WA across 60 locations from Kununurra to Esperance, basketball can play a large part in normalising the conversation around wearing seat belts and road safety in general.

The Insurance Commission will provide over $200,000 in funding annually to promote the Belt Up safety message throughout the basketball community. This funding also includes the purchase of five training/competition chairs per year to promote participation in community wheelchair competitions. Inclusive sporting opportunities are a core focus area for the Insurance Commission and its claimants.

Basketball WA is excited to partner with the Insurance Commission as the second summer sport to maintain a focus on the Belt Up message during the summer months.

Sport plays a role in helping people with a disability engage within their community, be healthy and develop self-esteem and confidence. Sport can play a role in assisting Western Australians living with disability to lead fuller, more active and more connected lives.

Our aim, with support from the Insurance Commission is to help remove physical and mental barriers so children and adults with a disability can have the same participation opportunities as their peers. This can include support for more carers to be involved in intellectual disability programs and activities to reduce the financial impact of needing a specific chair for wheelchair basketball.

This support from the Insurance Commission will allow Basketball WA to further reach out into communities, assisting with the access and increased independence of individuals with injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes and workplace accidents. It will support more of our community associations being accessible.

For further information, please contact: Evan Stewart
Deputy CEO – Basketball WA
evan.stewart@basketballwa.asn.au

Download Media Release – BWA ICWA Partner 18 Feb 2022