Miss Hastings kicks off disability sports campaign

Danielle Evans said she wants to make a difference

Miss Hastings has launched a disability inclusion campaign.

Danielle Evans, who is from the East Sussex town, says she wants schools to introduce physical education classes where children can learn about disabilities.

A Department for Education spokesperson told the BBC all children should have access to "quality sporting opportunities" no matter their ability.

Ms Evans, a plus-size model and ex-rugby player, was born at 26 weeks and given a 5% chance of survival. She was left with long-term lung and cognitive development issues.

'I wish that there was more understanding'

"In school, I struggled to even write my name but now I'm on a mission to make a real difference with my platform," Ms Evans said.

"I wish that there was more understanding, particularly when I was younger, so that PE teachers could know what to look out for try to and support me better," she said.

Formerly a prop for her local rugby team, Ms Evans says she now has the skills and strategies to help coach others with disabilities.

Ms Evans has founded other initiatives to promote women in sport

The inclusivity role model ultimately wants changes in the school curriculum to help children understand the issues disabled people face.

Loretta Locke, the founder of Defiant Sports, an Eastbourne based community organisation that is working with Ms Evans to try and deliver the sports disability education sessions, said: "We have a lot of areas where young people with any kind of disability or special need are just not getting involved in sports sessions at all because PE teachers don't feel able to deal with that in a mainstream setting.

"That's just not appropriate. It's not fair."

A Department for Education spokesperson said access to sport is a "key" part of the government's "mission to break down the barriers to opportunity for every child".

They pointed to the government's inclusion 2024 programme, which they said is designed to improve and increase PE and school sport opportunities for pupils with special educational needs and disability.

Ms Evans has also been running the TryMe Campaign for the last five years which aims to break stereotypes of women in sport.

She will compete for Miss Great Britain in October.