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Special Olympics Australia’s Inclusive Sport Academy (ISA) has been recognised with a Platinum Award at the 2025 LearnX Awards, celebrated in the EdTech & Learning and Development category. The honour reinforces ISA’s national significance as Australia’s leading inclusive sport education platform.

Developed in partnership with Playbk Sports, ISA was created to address a long-standing gap in the availability of high-quality, accessible training for coaches, teachers, volunteers and inclusion leaders working with people with intellectual disabilities and autism.

Since launching in 2022, ISA has grown rapidly now reaching learners across Australia and through global Special Olympics networks. Its approach blends evidence-based pedagogy, lived experience and athlete-led learning to create meaningful, practical learning pathways.

A hallmark of ISA’s success is its co-design model. Courses are shaped by subject matter experts alongside athletes with intellectual disability and/or autism, who appear as educators, demonstrators and storytellers. This ensures every course reflects authenticity, relevance and inclusive language. The platform offers tailored learning experiences for:

  • Community coaches
  • Teachers
  • Volunteers
  • Athletes
  • Inclusion practitioners

To date, the digital learning platform has delivered:

  • 10,000+ learners
  • 15+ minutes average session time
  • 7,000+ course completions
  • 97% satisfaction rating across 1,330 survey responses

Special Olympics Australia CEO, Jamie O’Connor, said the recognition reflects the strength and impact of the program.

“The Inclusive Sport Academy is reshaping how Australia understands and delivers inclusive sport,” Mr O’Connor said.

“This award is a testament to our athletes, coaches, partners and educators who have built something genuinely transformative. We are incredibly proud of this recognition.”

Playbk Sports COO, Damian Hecker, said the achievement highlights the power of collaboration.

“ISA reflects everything we believe about the power of accessible, inclusive learning. Partnering with Special Olympics Australia and working alongside coaches and athletes with intellectual disability and/or autism has been one of the most meaningful collaborations we’ve been part of. This recognition is richly deserved.”

The Special Olympics Australia Inclusive Sport Academy is proudly presented by Gallagher Australia.