Authority

This policy is adopted by the EDGA Board as an equality, diversity and inclusion standard for EDGA membership, EDGA events, EDGA-sanctioned activity and people acting in EDGA-related roles.

This policy sits alongside the Articles of Association and does not override them. Where a matter involves termination of membership, removal of a director, conflicts of interest, notice requirements or any other matter covered by the Articles, the Articles of Association take precedence.

Board Resolution

The EDGA Board adopts the EDGA Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy with immediate effect. The policy applies to EDGA membership, EDGA events, EDGA-sanctioned activity, communications, volunteering, governance and related participation activity from adoption unless amended or replaced by the Board.

Alleged breaches may be handled under the EDGA Code of Conduct, the EDGA Member Conduct and Disciplinary Regulations, the EDGA Safeguarding Policy or any other relevant EDGA policy. Any board member, officer, volunteer or role holder who is named in, or conflicted in relation to, an equality, diversity or inclusion matter must recuse themselves from that matter.

1. Purpose

The English Disc Golf Association (EDGA) wants disc golf in England to be open, fair, safe and welcoming.

This policy sets out EDGA’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion across membership, events, volunteering, governance, communications, clubs, courses and participation.

EDGA recognises that people experience sport in different ways. Some people face barriers linked to cost, travel, confidence, disability, age, sex, race, faith, caring responsibilities, previous experience, safety concerns, access to courses or lack of local support.

EDGA’s role is to reduce avoidable barriers, promote respectful participation and help disc golf grow in a way that is fair, practical and sustainable.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

• EDGA members
• Players and participants in EDGA-sanctioned events
• Tournament Directors and event staff
• Volunteers, officials, coaches and helpers
• Board members, officers and appointed role holders
• Parents, carers, caddies and spectators
• EDGA-affiliated clubs, where relevant to EDGA affiliation or activity
• EDGA communications, website content, social media, member services and public activity

This policy should be read alongside relevant EDGA policies and procedures where applicable, including the EDGA Code of Conduct, EDGA Safeguarding Policy and EDGA Member Conduct and Disciplinary Regulations.

3. Legal and Governance Context

EDGA will act in line with applicable equality law, safeguarding duties and recognised good practice in sport governance.

The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination linked to protected characteristics. These are:

• age
• disability
• gender reassignment
• marriage and civil partnership
• pregnancy and maternity
• race
• religion or belief
• sex
• sexual orientation

EDGA will take reasonable steps to avoid unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and to promote fair access to disc golf.

EDGA aims to work towards good governance standards expected of sports bodies, including transparency, accountability, integrity, diversity and inclusion.

This policy does not set competition eligibility rules. Where EDGA needs rules about competition categories, sex-based categories, safeguarding, privacy, fairness or representative selection, those matters should be handled through separate competition rules, event conditions or selection policies, taking account of current law and relevant guidance.

4. EDGA’s Commitments

EDGA will:

• Treat people with dignity, fairness and respect.
• Promote a welcoming environment for new and existing players.
• Support participation by women and girls.
• Support participation by juniors and young people.
• Support participation by disabled players and people with long-term health conditions.
• Support participation by older players and beginners.
• Encourage clubs and event organisers to consider access, safety and inclusion.
• Improve representation and volunteer pathways where practical.
• Make communications clear, respectful and accessible.
• Challenge bullying, harassment, discrimination and exclusion.
• Handle concerns fairly, proportionately and confidentially where appropriate.
• Use member feedback and participation data to understand barriers and improve decisions.

5. Conduct and Behaviour

Everyone involved in EDGA activity is expected to help create a respectful and inclusive environment.

Unacceptable behaviour includes:

• Discrimination
• Harassment
• Bullying
• Abuse
• Intimidation
• Victimisation
• Targeted personal attacks
• Exclusionary behaviour
• Retaliation against someone for raising a concern
• Offensive comments, jokes, posts or images linked to protected characteristics
• Behaviour that makes people feel unsafe, unwelcome or unable to take part

Concerns about behaviour may be handled under the EDGA Code of Conduct or the EDGA Member Conduct and Disciplinary Regulations. Safeguarding concerns must be handled under the EDGA Safeguarding Policy.

6. Women and Girls

EDGA recognises that women and girls are under-represented in disc golf and may face barriers linked to visibility, confidence, facilities, safety, event culture, cost, travel and local playing opportunities.

EDGA will take practical and proportionate steps to support women and girls where possible, including:

• encouraging welcoming routes into the sport
• improving visibility and representation where practical
• encouraging event organisers to consider facilities, toilets, safety, communication and event culture
• supporting fair access to membership, events and playing opportunities
• considering targeted support, reduced fees or other participation measures where approved and sustainable
• learning from women’s disc golf groups, players, clubs and community feedback

EDGA will not tolerate sexism, harassment, intimidation or behaviour that discourages women and girls from taking part.

7. Juniors and Young People

EDGA wants juniors and young people to have positive, safe and enjoyable experiences in disc golf.

EDGA will:

• Follow the EDGA Safeguarding Policy.
• Encourage age-appropriate participation.
• Support clubs and organisers with safeguarding guidance.
• Encourage clear parent and carer communication.
• Promote respectful behaviour from adults around junior players.
• Support development routes for juniors where practical.

Any concern involving a child or young person must be treated as a safeguarding matter first.

8. Disabled Players and Access

EDGA recognises that disabled players and people with long-term health conditions may face practical, physical, social or communication barriers in disc golf.

EDGA will:

• Consider reasonable adjustments where practical.
• Encourage clubs and event organisers to consider course access, toilets, parking, rest points, terrain, signage and communication.
• Promote clear information so players can make informed decisions before attending.
• Encourage respectful discussion of access needs.
• Support para disc golf and inclusive participation where practical.
• Avoid making assumptions about what disabled players can or cannot do.

EDGA cannot make every course or event fully accessible, but it should encourage honest information, reasonable planning and better access over time.

9. Race, Religion, Belief and Background

EDGA wants disc golf to be welcoming to people from all ethnic, cultural, religious and socio-economic backgrounds.

EDGA will:

• Avoid exclusionary language or assumptions.
• Encourage clubs and events to welcome new communities.
• Challenge racism, xenophobia and religious discrimination.
• Use clear and accessible communication.
• Consider cost, travel and regional access when making decisions.
• Encourage outreach beyond existing disc golf networks where practical.

10. LGBTQ+ Inclusion

EDGA expects all people to be treated with dignity and respect.

EDGA will not tolerate harassment, bullying or abuse linked to sexual orientation, gender reassignment, gender identity or gender expression.

Where a matter involves competition eligibility, sex-based categories, single-sex spaces, safeguarding, privacy or fairness, EDGA will follow current law, official guidance and relevant sport-specific requirements. These decisions should be handled carefully and, where needed, through separate policy or event rules.

This policy does not remove EDGA’s duty to treat people respectfully.

11. Events and Competition

EDGA expects events to be planned and delivered in a way that is fair, safe and welcoming.

Tournament Directors and event organisers should consider:

• Clear event information.
• Safe and respectful playing environments.
• Divisions and event formats.
• Facilities, including toilets and parking.
• Course access and terrain.
• Communication with juniors, parents and carers.
• Support for new players.
• Behaviour standards.
• Safeguarding arrangements.
• Reasonable adjustments where practical.
• How concerns will be raised on the day.

Event organisers are not expected to solve every access issue, but they should provide clear information and take reasonable steps to reduce avoidable barriers.

12. Clubs and Affiliated Activity

EDGA encourages clubs to create welcoming and well-run local environments.

Clubs seeking EDGA affiliation may be asked to show that they have appropriate arrangements for:

• Safeguarding
• Conduct
• Complaints or concerns
• Inclusive participation
• Safe sessions
• Communication with members
• Volunteer expectations
• Junior activity, where relevant

EDGA may provide templates, guidance or signposting to help clubs improve their local practice.

13. Communications and Digital Access

EDGA will aim to make its communications clear, respectful and accessible.

This includes:

• Using plain language.
• Avoiding unnecessary jargon.
• Making key information easy to find.
• Considering accessibility in website content and digital tools.
• Using inclusive imagery where practical.
• Avoiding stereotypes.
• Providing clear contact routes.
• Publishing policies and governance documents in an accessible location.

EDGA should avoid presenting inclusion as a slogan. It should show it through practical information, better access and respectful communication.

14. Governance and Representation

EDGA will aim to make volunteering and governance more open, transparent and representative over time.

This may include:

• Clearer role descriptions.
• Open calls for volunteers.
• Better onboarding.
• Mentoring or support for new volunteers.
• Encouraging under-represented groups to get involved.
• Reviewing barriers to board, committee or officer roles.
• Managing conflicts of interest properly.
• Using feedback to guide future decisions.

Appointments and selections should be fair, transparent and based on the requirements of the role or activity.

15. Data and Feedback

EDGA may collect relevant data to understand membership, participation and barriers to involvement.

Where EDGA collects equality, demographic or access information, it will:

• Explain why the information is being collected.
• Use the information only for appropriate EDGA purposes.
• Store data securely.
• Limit access to those who need it.
• Follow the EDGA Privacy Policy and applicable data protection law.
• Avoid publishing information that identifies individuals without a proper basis.

Members and participants should be encouraged to share feedback on barriers, but should not be pressured to disclose personal information.

16. Raising a Concern

Concerns about discrimination, harassment, exclusion or unfair treatment can be raised through an official EDGA channel, such as the EDGA contact form, an EDGA email address or an EDGA officer who forwards the concern into the correct process.

Safeguarding concerns should follow the EDGA safeguarding reporting route.

If someone is in immediate danger, or a crime is in progress, call 999. If a matter may involve a crime but there is no immediate danger, it may be reported to police via 101 or online.

EDGA will handle concerns fairly, proportionately and with appropriate confidentiality.

17. Breaches of this Policy

Breaches of this policy may be handled under the EDGA Code of Conduct, the EDGA Member Conduct and Disciplinary Regulations, the EDGA Safeguarding Policy, the Articles of Association or another relevant EDGA process.

Possible action may include:

• Advice or guidance
• Conduct reminder
• Informal warning
• Formal written warning
• Request for apology or corrective action
• Conditions on attendance or participation
• Removal from an event, role or activity
• Temporary suspension from EDGA events or activities
• Longer-term suspension or exclusion in serious cases
• Referral to another body, venue, statutory agency or emergency services where relevant

Any action should be fair, proportionate and recorded.

18. Review

This policy will be reviewed by the EDGA Board as required, including after significant equality, safeguarding, conduct or governance issues, changes to EDGA activity, changes in law, or changes in relevant Sport England, UK Sport or UK Sports Council guidance.

Reference Notes

This policy has been developed with reference to the Equality Act 2010, Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance on protected characteristics, the Sport England and UK Sport Code for Sports Governance, relevant Sport England safeguarding guidance, and UK Sports Council guidance on inclusion in domestic sport.