5 October 2026

ParalympicsGB launches Be the Change: helping shape a more inclusive future

With 1 in 3 disabled young people experiencing social isolation, compared with 1 in 5 non-disabled young people, and 41% of disabled people reporting being affected by ‘careless assumptions’ about their disability (Scope 2023) there is a clear need to challenge attitudes from an early age.

ParalympicsGB is proud to launch Get Set Be the Change – a new education programme helping children develop positive attitudes towards disability, inclusion and belonging from an early age.

Marking a major step into behaviour-change education beyond sport, the programme supports ParalympicsGB’s vision of creating a better world for disabled people.

Why start with children?

The attitudes children develop can shape how they understand difference, build relationships and participate in society throughout their lives.

Grounded in the Social Model of Disability, Get Set Be the Change helps young people understand how physical, environmental and attitudinal barriers can disable people. By starting these conversations early, we can help lay the foundations for more inclusive schools, communities and society.

Get Set Be the Change: The Social Model of Disability

Bringing inclusion to life through story

At the heart of Get Set Be the Change are engaging animated Lion Class stories, co-created with disabled young people. Through relatable characters and everyday situations, the stories provide an accessible way to explore disability, difference, friendship and inclusion.

Lived experience has shaped the programme, helping ensure its stories and characters feel authentic and relatable.

Multiple disabled characters feature throughout every story, living, learning, and playing together. Rather than disability being represented through a single character, it is naturally woven into the world of the programme.

We believe this matters. Seeing disabled characters as part of everyday life can help challenge assumptions and normalise disability on screen.

Paralympians also feature through teacher and pupil introduction videos, connecting young people and educators with members of the ParalympicsGB community.

Supporting teachers to have the conversation

Research highlights the need to give educators greater confidence and support to talk about disability with young people, highlighting the need to broaden disability conversations in the classroom.

Get Set Be the Change responds with curriculum-linked resources and practical teacher guidance, giving educators the tools and confidence to facilitate meaningful conversations around the Lion Class stories.

Learning can also extend beyond the classroom through the programme’s storytelling competition, with Paralympian turned Illustrator Sophie Kamlish helping bring this opportunity to life.

This is just the beginning

The launch of Get Set Be the Change is an important milestone for ParalympicsGB – and the beginning of a wider ambition to help shape a more inclusive society.

Do you work in education? Register your school or setting to deliver Get Set Be the Change.

Are you a parent or carer? Register and download our free letter to ask your child’s school or community organisation to deliver the programme.

Want to support our mission? Share the programme, champion inclusive education and help us create a better world for disabled people.

Sign up to our email list to get updates on the team and the inside track on our sporting heroes – We're building a movement, with your support, to break down barriers for disabled people across the UK.

First Name

Last Name

Email address

I am over 18 and would like to receive emails about news, fundraising and how I can get involved with ParalympicsGB