A WHEELCHAIR basketball player is campaigning for more disability sports to be shown on mainstream television.

James Ireland, 24, from Southend, was born with spina bifida and is paralysed from the waist down. He uses a wheelchair to get around.

To keep fit, James likes to take part in wheelchair basketball and wheelchair dance. Since getting involved, he said he has noticed there is a distinct lack of TV coverage for disability sports.

Now, with the help of Fixers – the charity which gives young people a voice – James has launched a campaign explaining highlighting why more disability sports should be covered.

He said: “We have the Paralympics every four years and the Invictus Games every two years. But there’s so much more to disability sports than those two.

“I don’t think the general public seem to realise that disability sports happen 365 days a year. It’s happening on a weekly basis – but none of that gets covered.

“I love wheelchair basketball for the camaraderie, the laughs, keeping fit and being part of a team. It’s good to have people around you who have got differing disabilities and face adversity as well.”

As part of the campaign, James made a film with Fixers that featured on national news programmes.

Simeon Wakely, who also has spina bifida but lives in Bristol, has been helping James with his campaign.

He said: “More disability sports shown on TV means more opportunities for people to participate in sports.

“As someone who has played sports for the last eight years, I know that being in a team, being around people who understand what you are going through is very important.”

The pair have the backing of Paralympian sprinter Sophie Kamlish, who competed at Rio 2016.

She said: ‘It’s important that people who are disabled see themselves represented on TV, especially in sports showing we are strong and we can do pretty much anything a non-disabled person can do.’

Support the campaign by signing the petition here.

For more information or to get involved with the campaign, visit fixers.org.uk

Twitter: @Aspire_Campaign