Paralympians call for equal access to school sport

Britain's Paralympic stars person called connected Prime Minister Keir Starmer to importune that disabled children person adjacent entree to schoolhouse sport.

The Great Britain squad returned from the 2024 Paralympics successful Paris connected Monday having finished second successful the medal array down China with 124 medals, including 49 golds.

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

Earlier successful the day, an unfastened missive was sent to the UK Government by ParalympicsGB stating that lone 1 successful 4 disabled children regularly takes portion successful schoolhouse sport.

It followed the motorboat past week of the Equal Play campaign,, external calling connected the authorities to guarantee "every kid has the aforesaid entree to PE astatine school, alternatively than leaving them sidelined".

"There are 1.5 cardinal disabled children - 15% of the schoolhouse colonisation - and it is shocking that specified a ample fig of young radical bash not person the accidental to enactment successful athletics and make and turn arsenic a result," the missive read.

"As Paralympians, and arsenic disabled people, we are much determined than ever to usage this level to bash each we tin to forestall the adjacent procreation of children being near connected the sidelines successful the birthplace of the Paralympic movement."

The missive called connected the authorities to springiness teachers the indispensable training, the close tools and the knowing to present "truly inclusive carnal education".

The wide extremity is that by the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games, "no disabled kid faces this discrimination".

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

GB's cook de ngo Penny Briscoe told the BBC she was "delighted" with the unthinkable squad show and could not beryllium "happier", praising the "depth of endowment crossed the sports".

"The ambition is to stay a satellite starring nationalist Paralympic committee," she added.

BBC Sport has asked the authorities for comment.