About BDAA

The British Disabled Angling Association (BDAA) was founded in 1996 by Terry Moseley to help develop opportunities for people with disabilities to access the activity of fishing in the UK.

In the early days the Registered National charity had just 18 eager members on its books, so popular was the demand that in just 11 years the membership has grown to a staggering 24,500 with calls from all over the globe requesting help and advice and a staggering 3.5 million hits per year on its web site www.bdaa.co.uk for all sorts of information on how people with disabilities regardless of how sever can go fishing.

With help & advice from its professional consultants the BDAA has now secured a respected position within angling and government to become a representative body for all disability issues within angling, the organisation is inclusive and empowers disabled people into its management structure to offer the very best in advice, support and events.

Authorities use the BDAA to offer advice on how angling can improve its environment and give more open opportunities for people with disabilities to access the sport.

In the UK 54,000 disabled people hold a fishing license, of whom 1,000 fish competitively and the majority for pleasure, we firmly believe that many more would fish if they realised the possibilities.

BDAA want to inform people how accessible angling is becoming an activity which has no discrimination regardless of your disability, gender or age you can just visit the outdoors in a healthy environment just for enjoyment or competing up to national level or World level”.

The BDAA is funded by public donations & disability project funded by Dreamstore UK www.dreamstore.org the Environment agency and English Federation of Disability Sport; we have 24,500 members who it provides free membership to ensuring that we reach the maximum number of people with minimal cost.

The charities activities include advising fisheries & local authorities on access, and produced a booklet on how to improve access and platform design, Inclusive Angling; the booklet explains how to create accessible pathways, platforms and car parking areas, and the extra services that make fisheries inclusive for anglers with disabilities.

Just as important the booklet is supported by the Specialised Equipment guide another BDAA booklet lists ways of getting round a range of problems. It includes equipment for Wheelchair users, Amputees, Stroke, Head injuries, Visual and other disabilities helping them to find an alternative activity to the mainstream, from rod-holders to audible and flashing-light bite-indicators for people with sensory impairments; from wheelchair accessory frames to remote controlled reels imported from the USA.

The BDAA caters for disabled coarse, specimen, sea and game anglers. Has its own salmon fishing rights on the River Doon in Ayrshire Scotland, offer help for disabled people who want to try specimen angling, sea fishing aboard the adapted catamaran MV Freedom in Weymouth, fly fishing through the Wheelyboat Trust a charity who design and provide specially developed accessible boats and much more.

Fishing is especially attractive to young disabled people and their development, the BDAA offers educational visits to special schools, hospitals, residential and community centres to encourage disabled and newly disabled either to try fishing for the first time or come back into fishing after disability. Our educational introduction to fishing gives both teachers and children an insight to what fishing can offer as a therapeutic activity, we have proven that fishing increases attention spans, offers social inclusion, sense of achievement & motor skills development.

By contacting the BDAA, we can arrange a visit to your centre or if an individual post you an introductory pack giving information on all types of fishing and what it involves, the BDAA has a comprehensive web site which receives 2.5 million hits per year from visitors seeking information on fishing with disabilities, the website has a mass of information that is constantly accessed and downloaded by people all over the world.

So in all from 5 to 95 years the BDAA can help you to go fishing, why not give it a try.