Beyond This Land
Africa remains one of the least engaged regions in disability sports and the adoption of assistive technology. Feedback from phase one (2020-24) of the AT2030 Para Sport Against Stigma project revealed a persistent misconception that disability sports are primarily a concept of the Global North, with little relevance to Africa.
To challenge this narrative and leverage the global attention on disability sports in the lead-up to the Paris Games, the Malawi Paralympic Committee and the African Union Sports Council Region 5 launched the #BeyondThisLand campaign, supported by the University of Malawi and Loughborough University (UK). This digital initiative aims at attracting a new and diverse audience to disability sports and is part of ongoing research to explore how the media can better be used to amplify this discourse and also call on everyone to watch and amplify the stories and journeys these Para athletes have been.
The #BeyondThisLand campaign is supported by the AT2030 program, which is testing 'what works' to improve access to assistive technology. The program is funded by UK Aid and led by the Global Disability Innovation Hub. Phase One of Para Sport Against Stigma (2020-2024) was a collaboration between Loughborough University, the International Paralympic Committee, and the University of Malawi.