Game Changers leading the charge for genuine inclusion in schools

Christmas is often framed as a time for generosity. Yet for many people with disability, inclusion remains the gift they most often go without. With more than 5.5 million Australians living with disability, early education plays a crucial role in shaping how young people understand accessibility, equality, and respectful interaction. Despite this, most schools still lack regular, evidence-based disability awareness programs that allow children to ask questions, build empathy, and see disability as a natural part of human diversity.

Sporting Wheelies is calling on Australians to back its 2025 Christmas Appeal, which funds the growth of Raising the Bar — an in-school program delivered by people with disability, known as Game Changers. These presenters share their lived experience, teach inclusive language, and run demonstrations of adaptive sports such as wheelchair basketball.

One of those Game Changers is Brisbane local Jacob Lake. Jacob lives with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (brittle bone disease) and has experienced more than 100 fractures. Since joining the program in 2023, he’s seen firsthand how quickly young people shift their understanding once they meet someone who speaks openly about disability and invites them into adaptive sport.

“Kids often look at a wheelchair and assume it means a miserable or limited life,” Jacob says. “I love being able to show them how fun, normal, and active life in a wheelchair can be. Within minutes, their whole perspective changes — and they’ll carry that with them for life.”

Jacob connected with Sporting Wheelies after months of unsuccessful job searching. He applied to be a Game Changer hoping for a chance to work. Instead, he found purpose, community, and a role he says has changed his life.

“At first, it was just about getting a job,” he says. “But now I can confidently say this is the most meaningful thing I’ve ever done. I get to teach, have fun, play wheelchair basketball with the kids, and spread the message that nothing is impossible.”

Sporting Wheelies Chief Operating Officer, Dane Cross, says the Christmas period is a timely reminder of what inclusion should look like.

“We talk a lot about generosity during the festive season,” Dane says. “Supporting Raising the Bar is a way to extend that spirit meaningfully. When children learn from people like Jacob, it creates lasting change — not just for Christmas, but for life.”

He says disability education remains critically important.

“People with disability still face assumptions that limit their opportunities. Programs like Raising the Bar give young people the knowledge to approach disability with empathy instead of fear or pity. It’s transformative, and every donation helps bring this program into more classrooms.”

Jacob, who now plays wheelchair basketball and trains regularly at the gym, says he simply wants students to see disability as one aspect of who someone is — not a defining label.

“A lot of people think disability stops us from doing what we love, but that’s not true,” he says. “We don’t need pity. We just want the same chance as anyone else to be included. When kids understand that, the world becomes a far more welcoming place.”

Sporting Wheelies is a not-for-profit and relies heavily on community support to deliver and expand Raising the Bar. Donations fund school visits, adaptive sport sessions, Game Changer training, and accessible education for students across Queensland.

“This Christmas, every contribution helps give young people the tools to build a kinder and more inclusive future. It’s a gift that lasts long after the decorations come down,” Dane says.

To donate or learn more about the Christmas Appeal, visit sportingwheelies.org.au/donate.