Through The RopesPrevention. Intervention.

Who we help / People with disability

Disability

If you can turn up, you can take part.

One in five Australians has disability, and many face barriers to sport, work and community that have nothing to do with ability. Boxing training adapts well: seated work, pads, footwork and fitness can all be tailored. Through The Ropes is built to fit the person, not the other way round.

By the numbers

Disability in Australia.

The picture

Barriers to work and play.

The employment gap People with disability: 56.1%; People without disability: 82.3%. People with disability 56.1% People without disability 82.3%
People aged 15 to 64 who were employed, 2022. Source: ABS, Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings, 2022
More likely to be isolated Lonely: with disability: 29%; Lonely: without disability: 17%; Isolated: with disability: 19%; Isolated: without disability: 9.5%. Lonely: with disability 29% Lonely: without disability 17% Isolated: with disability 19% Isolated: without disability 9.5%
People aged 15 to 64, 2021. Source: AIHW, People with disability in Australia: social inclusion (2021 data)

Behind the numbers

Barriers, not limits.

Disability is part of life for one in five Australians, and it looks different for everyone: physical, intellectual, sensory, psychosocial, visible and invisible. Most people with disability don't need a special programme. They need a mainstream one that welcomes them and adapts.

The barriers are real. People with disability are less likely to be employed and more likely to be lonely, and 77% of adults with disability don't do enough physical activity (74% of adults without disability don't either).

Unemployment for people with disability aged 15 to 64 was 7.5% in 2022, more than twice the 3.1% for people without disability. Confidence, routine and connections all help close that gap.

How Through The Ropes can help

Training that fits you.

Adapted from session one

Every drill can be modified: seated, standing, non-contact, low or high intensity. Coaches plan with you, not for you.

Support workers welcome

Bring a support worker or carer. We can work with your plan and your goals.

A crew, not a ward

You're part of the cohort like everyone else, with the same showcase at the end.

Confidence that carries over

Fitness, routine and social connection are building blocks for work, study and getting out more.

Potential for impact

What the evidence says.

Honest about what we know. Evidence that adapted exercise improves fitness, mood and quality of life for many people with disability is strong. Evidence for boxing specifically is still small, mostly from programmes for Parkinson's disease. We'll tailor every programme with participants and their allied health teams.

What we will measure with every cohort, and publish:

  • Who starts, who finishes, and why people leave early
  • Wellbeing and mood at week 1, week 10 and three months later, using a standard validated scale
  • Fitness and attendance: sessions completed out of thirty
  • Next steps at three and six months: work, study, training, sport, housing
  • Progress against each participant's own goals

Want to join, or refer someone?

Participants, families, support coordinators and providers: get in touch and we'll talk about what works for you.

Join the next cohortTalk partnership

Sources

  1. ABS, Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings, 2022
  2. ABC News (30 Sep 2026), reporting the NDIS quarterly report to 30 June 2026
  3. AIHW, People with disability in Australia: social inclusion (2021 data)
  4. AIHW, People with disability in Australia 2026: health risk factors and behaviours
  5. Hassett et al. (2021), Physical activity participation in people with disability, BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine
  6. Noetel et al. (2024), Effect of exercise for depression: systematic review and network meta-analysis, BMJ
  7. Bozdarov et al. (2023), Boxing as an intervention in mental health: a scoping review, American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine

Figures are the latest published at the time of writing (October 2026). Back to Who we help.