Words & Photo OneAbility
OneAbility Foundation is a collaborative across Greater Victoria to support Adaptive Sport and Recreation.
We exist to bring organizations together to connect and communicate around the delivery of sport and physical activity programs and services for individuals with disabilities.
OneAbility started in Greater Victoria in 2015. It continues to focus on the CRD and has over 50 members that are also from around B.C. and beyond. OneAbility is a network of members who are working together to promote and improve health and wellness through active living programs, sports and recreation opportunities for people with diverse needs.
The power of collaboration and connection is at the core of everything that OneAbility does. We exist to facilitate relationships and to support our members so that they can do their work more successfully.
OneAbility Foundation’s members drive impact across the region to over 135,000 people through their programs and services. Each year OneAbility asks about how many people benefit through the network of partners, what the key needs are, and where the assistance of being part of the network can best support the members. This information drives how OneAbility provides support, and what the annual action plan will be.
In 2021, OneAbility created a program to support youth with disabilities to develop physical literacy through a fun, supportive, multi-sport program which provides an introduction to adaptive sports across our community. “ ParaPlay” takes place twice a year during the fall and winter/spring seasons, and is a free program which relies on grants to operate. Sports that are offered have included dance, karate, wheelchair rugby, boccia, wheelchair basketball, powerlifting, therapeutic riding, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey and more.
With the need for more disability programming and awareness growing, OneAbility Foundation has also worked over the last three years to create programming that can scale across B.C.
Through the OneAbility Games, now operated by partner organization Operation Trackshoes Society, an annual multisport event is hosted at the Richmond Oval, and school programming is growing across the province. The goal of the OneAbility Games is to offer adapted sport programs for students, competitive athletes and adults who want a recreational sport opportunity, all within a six-day multi-sport festival that is low barrier and raises the profile of and opportunities to take part in disability sports. The annual OneAbility Games takes place in May and hosts over 1,200 participants. Inclusive sport festivals are also offered in communities across the province, with four festivals happening in 2026, and a goal of 20 to take place in 2027. One of these festivals is in Victoria at PISE.
OneAbility Foundation operates monthly member forums, a community program calendar of adapted sport and physical activity opportunities, a monthly newsletter, and training and education opportunities. OneAbility recently offered a Disability IQ session for its members, and will be hosting a session that is open to the public for a fee on November 27 that is focused on disability awareness, understanding and how to create more accessible programs and services.
oneability.ca
