Paralympians call for equal access to school sport

Britain's Paralympic stars have called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to insist that disabled children have equal access to school sport.

The Great Britain team returned from the 2024 Paralympics in Paris on Monday having finished second in the medal table behind China with 124 medals, including 49 golds.

Multiple gold medallists Dame Sarah Storey, Alice Tai and Maisie Summers-Newton were among those who arrived by Eurostar at St Pancras railway station.

Earlier in the day, an open letter was sent to the UK Government by ParalympicsGB stating that only one in four disabled children regularly takes part in school sport.

It followed the launch last week of the Equal Play campaign, calling on the government to ensure "every child has the same access to PE at school, rather than leaving them sidelined".

"There are 1.5 million disabled children - 15% of the school population - and it is shocking that such a large number of young people do not have the chance to participate in sport and develop and grow as a result," the letter read.

"As Paralympians, and as disabled people, we are more determined than ever to use this platform to do all we can to prevent the next generation of children being left on the sidelines in the birthplace of the Paralympic movement."

The letter called on the government to give teachers the necessary training, the right tools and the understanding to deliver "truly inclusive physical education".

The overall goal is that by the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games, "no disabled child faces this discrimination".

In response, a Government spokesperson said: "We have launched a review of the school curriculum which will consider how best to open up access to subjects such as PE and sport to more young people so we can nurture the Paralympians of the future."

Great Britain's SM8 200m individual medley champion Brock Whiston, who will soon return to her job as a teaching assistant for children with special needs, added: "We will never be equal, because you can't possibly be equal, but you should always get the same opportunities."

Fellow Para-swimmer Alice Tai, who won five medals in Paris, including two golds, said exclusion from sport "can have a massive impact".

"I think the Paralympics proves that sport is accessible," said Tai. "It just takes people to have open minds, listen to people with disabilities, advocate for us, and keep everything going after the Paralympics."

Great Britain's 49 gold medals was their highest tally since Rio 2016, with medals in 18 of the 19 sports they entered.

GB's chef de mission Penny Briscoe told the BBC she was "delighted" with the incredible team performance and could not be "happier", praising the "depth of talent across the sports".

"The ambition is to remain a world leading national Paralympic committee," she added.

BBC Sport has asked the government for comment.

GB won medals in 18 of the 19 sports they entered, before returning to London by train

Cyclist Sarah Storey won two golds in Paris, taking her overall Paralympics tally to 19 golds

Swimmer Maisie Summers Newton won two gold medals and a bronze in Paris

The BBC has teamed up with ParalympicsGB and the Premier League to launch Super Movers for Every Body - an educational initiative dedicated to getting more children into inclusive sport. Visit the Super Movers for Every Body website to find free teaching and learning resources for inclusive Paralympic sports and PE lessons, and details of how to find sports clubs in your local area.