Alumna and donor Sherril York is building a more inclusive world—one opportunity at a time

For Sherril York (B.S.Ed. ’73), the path to making a difference in the world of physical activity began at the University of Georgia.

Now, decades later, her support will create countless opportunities for future generations to promote inclusive physical activity for individuals of all abilities.

Sherril York evaluates a wheelchair lift at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
Sherril York evaluates a wheelchair lift at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
“It started with my undergraduate program at the University of Georgia,” says York, who received her degree in physical education. “I had the opportunity to work with people with disabilities in a number of ways, and that’s where it started, and that’s why I established this particular fund.”

The Sherril York Inclusive Physical Activity Support Endowment supports the development and enhancement of programs that promote physical activity for individuals with disabilities in the Mary Frances Early College of Education’s Department of Kinesiology.

Dedicated to promoting inclusive opportunities, the fund also aims to improve access, participation, and the overall experience for youth and adults in motor development and physical activity including adapted individual, team sports, and more.

“I hope the fund expands opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to work with people with disabilities,” says York. “It will provide professional development funding for program development and expansion, community engagement activities, and research activities.”

Rooted in her own experiences—from overseeing national initiatives on accessibility and adapted sports to conducting biomechanics research to serving as executive director at the National Center on Accessibility (NCA)—York’s vision is clear: inclusion should be woven into every level of education, including school programs and community engagement.

“I want to support students to increase their exposure as well as their knowledge of and inclusion of people with disabilities, not just in sports, but physical activity in general,” says York. “I’ve seen it throughout my career, and I’ve done direct service as well as professional preparation service, research, and so forth, and the more that you can include people with all kinds of abilities in an activity, the better.”

While the endowment is designed for long-term impact, York is also making an immediate effect on students through two other initiatives—the first of which supports research on cerebral palsy in the College’s Neuromusculoskeletal Health Laboratory, led by Athletic Association Professor of Kinesiology Christopher Modlesky (Ph.D. ’02).

Two GoalDawgs campers defend their goal as the ball approaches the net.
Two GoalDawgs campers defend their goal as the ball approaches the net
The second provides seed money for GoalDawg Goalball Camp, a new summer camp led by assistant professor T. Nicole Kirk, who recently collaborated with the Georgia Blind Sports Association to organize an event that encourages youth involvement in a sport for the visually impaired.

From championing inclusive physical education to boosting new programs, York’s support is deeply rooted in a lifetime of passion and purpose.

“I had to seek out a lot of different opportunities in adapted physical education as a student,” she says. “But the opportunities were there—I just had to come across them and take advantage. I hope that this fund creates a lot of different opportunities for people to plug into learning more and participating in inclusive activities.”

More about York

York, who retired in 2018 as executive director of the NCA at Indiana University, is an advocate for individuals with disabilities in physical activity, recreation, and cultural settings.

After earning her Ph.D. in physical education with an emphasis in sport biomechanics and adapted physical education from Texas Woman’s University, she spent over 45 years of her career directing service programming and working directly with and researching populations with disabilities, ranging from toddlers in early intervention programs to children and adults in physical activity development to elite athletes in adapted sport programs.

Additionally, York contributed to various accessibility initiatives, adapted physical activity instruction, and inclusive program development, impacting areas such as the Special Olympics, wheelchair sports, and assistive device innovation.