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This is a past event

You can watch it back on Youtube here.

https://youtu.be/l6Z19ZWPMaM

To see future ODI Canalside Chats or for more information, visit our ODI Canalside Chats page.

Paralympian Tania Nadarajah and Lisa Allen (Director of Data & Services, ODI) discuss how data initiatives like OpenActive can enable people with disabilities to get active

Tania Nadarajah is a Paralympic para-archer who competed for Great Britain from 2014 until her retirement from international sport in 2021.

Tania discovered archery through a taster session organised by a disability charity after experiencing life changing injuries in a road traffic accident. However, while attempting to find a local archery club which could accommodate her needs, she found that many did not have disabled access or toilet facilities and there was a distinct lack of coaches who could help adapt the sport to her abilities.

And now that Tania is retired from competitive sport, like many people with disabilities she still finds it difficult to access physical activities.

Sport England’s Active Lives Survey May 2019/20 found that disabled people and people with a long-term health condition are twice as likely to be physically inactive than those without a disability or health condition.

In this Canalside Chat, we’ll discuss how difficulties in finding accurate information about the accessibility of facilities and activities contributes to this, and the potential for data-driven projects such as OpenActive and Parasport to help level the playing field.

Convene with other leading thinkers to hear from our expert speakers, and enjoy complimentary drinks and nibbles, opportunities to network and the chance to take part in a live Q&A.

This is a free, in-person event and will be held in Kings Place, King’s Cross, London.

About the speakers

Tania Nadarajah is a former Paralympic para-archer who competed for Great Britain from 2014 until her retirement from international sport in 2021.

Tania currently runs the marketing and communications programme for Disability Assist, a charity which helps disabled people to live more independent lives.

She is also a board member for another charity which provides sporting opportunities to people with paralysis.

Lisa Allen heads up the Data and Services team at the ODI. They use their data expertise both internally and externally to make the data ecosystem work better for everyone.

Lisa is a data professional and has led many data teams in the public sector in the UK including at the Environment Agency and Ordnance Survey. She has experience across various data disciplines including open data, data protection, data transformation, and developing data strategies and frameworks to implement data governance.

Event information

Face masks will be available at registration for those who wish to wear them. Speakers will not be wearing a face covering.

Please note, this event will be recorded. The recording will be made publicly available on YouTube after the event, and may also be used in our marketing and promotion. Please indicate when booking your ticket whether you consent to be included in the recording.