30/07/2026
Yesterday we welcomed British Paralympian Fran Brown to our University sports facilities! Fran won a silver medal on her Paralympic debut at Paris 2024 in the Women’s C1-3 road cycling time trial alongside dozens of other accolades across disciplines, including double para climbing world champion and winning the Great British national para triathlon championships in 2016🏅
Whilst training at CCCU Sports Centre, we took the opportunity to ask Fran questions on her experience of accessibility in fitness facilities globally, to gain valuable insights to improve our own services💭
Our key takeaways from Fran:
✅There shouldn’t be extra barriers, paperwork or complicated processes for disabled users.
✅Opportunities should be equal and services should be adapted to the individual, not separated
✅Disabled people shouldn’t have to rely on asking for help to move equipment. The layout of spaces should, if possible, accommodate everyone’s needs
✅The goal is for everyone to have equal opportunities to use facilities
✅ Staff should use open communication to listen, adapt and learn rather than make assumptions
A huge thanks to Fran for providing us with some great insights into accessibility to help improve our services. We will continue to improve our services and facilities, ensuring everyone can access our opportunities💙
