Tanni Grey-Thompson launched the initiative in London

"Parasport" aims to increase participation and also widen the talent pool of potential Olympic athletes.

"We need to encourage more youngsters, as well as the disabled community as a whole," said Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, who launched the initiative.

"This scheme will open up that opportunity for people wherever they are in the UK."

Interview: Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson

Parasport, backed by business advisory firm Deloitte, will allow disabled people to discover the sporting options open to them locally through a dedicated website - www.parasport.org.uk.

This scheme should help extend the talent pool BPA chief executive Phil Lane

It will allow users to engage with a sport or sports either directly or through regional multi-sport taster sessions.

The BPA hope that once individuals have become engaged with a sport, they can stay involved recreationally or access competitive opportunities with the aim of increasing participation levels.

Talented young athletes will also have a chance to find out what further support is available to them and how to qualify for funding.

"We wanted to create a clear route for people to follow," said BPA chief executive Phil Lane, who first devised the scheme.

"With integration at school-level many young people do not necessarily know how to access sport for the disabled in their local area.