A new handbook called Inclusive and Active has been published in a bid to help and encourage more Londoners with disabilities to participate in sport.

At present, adults with disabilities in the capital have few opportunities or choices of sports activities and facilities, resulting in less than than one in five regularly taking part in sport and physical activity.

The new plan – jointly commissioned by Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, Sport England and London Sports Forum for Disabled People – sets out ten key priority action points to tackle inequalities and boost sporting participation and success at all levels.

The Mayor said: “By working together with boroughs and national and local sporting associations to deliver the plan, we can make a difference to the lives of disabled people before and after 2012.”

The London Development Agency will provide £500,000 towards recruiting and training more people with disabilities as sports coaches, while existing sports and more leisure facilities will be made fully accessible and inclusive.

Sean Holt, director of Sport England London, said: “The recent Active People survey showed that 9 per cent of disabled Londoners aged 16 and above participate in 30 minutes of sport or active recreation at least three times a week, compared with 21.3 per cent of Londoners without disabilities.

“It is imperative that we use this plan to encourage at least 1 per cent more disabled people to regularly participate in sport and physical activity year on year, in order to start narrowing the gap. This is a demanding target as it means 8,000 to 9,000 more disabled people participating each year between now and 2012.”