Move United, the national leader in community-based sports and recreation for individuals with disabilities, is hosting its annual Education Conference May 15-17, 2023, in Louisville, Kentucky. With the theme of “Disability Inclusion Through Sport: Transforming Intent to Action,” this year’s event will provide the tools, training, and networking opportunities to increase disability inclusion in sport. The conference will provide practical support to attendees to make an impact around inclusion, access & belonging.
The conference brings together adaptive athletes, sport professionals, and sport providers focusing on relevant education, awareness, and skills to instill change. Hundreds of attendees, from at least 37 states and the District of Columbia, will come together for informative educational sessions, hands-on, skills-based learning workshops and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. Attendees represent a variety of affiliations including Move United member organizations, general sport organizations, city parks & recreation departments, Olympic and Paralympic sport national governing bodies, VA hospital staff, wounded warfighters, occupational and recreation therapists, academic professionals and college students, disability resource groups, and more.
The conference includes six pre-conference workshops, 29 sessions, roundtable discussions, and an exhibitor hall. Topics will center around the themes of equity in sport, program development and management, emerging technologies, and sport specifics. There will also be a morning run, walk, roll and coffee with Blackbeard Espresso. Attendees may be eligible to acquire continuing education credit, if interested.
A welcome reception at the Galt House and a social event with sports demonstrations at the Ice House organized by students at the University of Louisville’s Sports Administration Program (SPAD) are also scheduled. Conference speakers include Paralympic Gold Medalist Kari-Miller-Ortiz, who serves as Move United’s Director of People and Culture, Paralympian Liz Willis, Paralympian Cheryl Angelleli, Dr. Mary Hums professor in the Department of Health and Sport Sciences at the University of Louisville, and many others.
“Sport is a powerful tool for change. Again and again through history sport has led societal movements for inclusion and equity,” said Move United Executive Director Glenn Merry. “This year’s theme reflects Move United’s vision to challenge what’s possible for athletes and for society.”
The Education Conference is part of Move United’s education program which has provided adaptive sports training to more than 6,500 people through over 375 events in the last two years alone. Move United Education promotes professional development for the adaptive sport industry through education and training. In the past year, Move United has committed over $750,000 to train hundreds of instructors and coaches around the country and distributed thousands of copies of the Inclusive Playbook to schools and community organizations. Peer-to-peer knowledge sharing is the cornerstone of Move United’s education and training events which have shaped each leadership conference since 2009.
Host partners for the 2023 conference are the University of Louisville Sport Administration Program, the Louisville Sports Commission, and Louisville Tourism. The conference is also generously supported by Nike. For more information about the conference or to register to attend, visit moveunitedsport.org/education/2023-move-united-education-conference/.