Special Olympics Australia’s Inclusive Sport Academy (ISA) has been recognised with a Platinum – Best EdTech & Learning Development at the 2025 LearnX Awards held at Crown Palladium, Melbourne on Wednesday 26 November, 2025. The award highlights ISA’s national significance as Australia’s leading inclusive sport education platform.
Developed in partnership with Playbk Sports, ISA addresses a longstanding gap: the limited availability of high-quality, accessible training for coaches, teachers, volunteers and inclusion leaders working with people with intellectual disabilities and autism.
Launched in 2022 and now reaching beyond Australia into global Special Olympics networks, the Academy reflects a world-class blend of evidence-based pedagogy, lived experience and athlete-led learning.
What distinguishes ISA is its co-design model: subject matter experts and athletes with intellectual disability and/or autism appear as educators, demonstrators and storytellers, shaping course direction, language and authenticity.
The Inclusive Sporty Academy platform includes tailored courses for:
- Community coaches
- Teachers
- Volunteers
- Athletes
- Inclusion practitioners
The digital learning platform has delivered:
- 10,000+ total learners
- 15+ minutes average time on platform
- 7,000+ course completions
- 97% satisfaction rating across 1,330 survey responses
Special Olympics Australia CEO, Jamie O’Connor, said:
“The Inclusive Sport Academy is reshaping how Australia understands and delivers inclusive sport. 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:
“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.”
For more information, visit Inclusive Sport Academy or contact Special Olympics Australia.
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For further information or media, please contact:
Special Olympics Australia: me***@*****************om.au
Playbk Sports: in**@**********ts.com
About Special Olympics Australia
Special Olympics Australia is part of a global movement using the power of sport to build a more inclusive world for people with intellectual disability and/or autism. At Special Olympics Australia, we believe sport can do more than inspire. It can shift culture. It can shape policies. It can change behaviours. And it can change the way the world sees ability.
All year round, we offer Olympic-type sports training and competitions for children and adults of all ages and ability levels – from weekly local grassroots activities, to State, National and World Games. But what we do goes far beyond sport. We break down barriers and we ignite confidence. We are a movement where no one is left behind, and everyone plays, competes, and thrives.
About Playbk Sports
Playbk Sports delivers premium digital learning solutions tailored for the sporting sector.
Since 2015, we have partnered with elite clubs and national sporting bodies to design eLearning programs and branded LMS platforms that drive participation, build workforce capability and create measurable impact across schools, coaches, athletes and communities.
Trusted by organisations including teams from the AFL, NRL, NBL and the NFL, as well as AusCycling, Little Athletics Australia and Special Olympics Australia.
