While pathways have been forged to create gender inclusiveness, with the development of women-specific leagues such as the AFLW, it's clear that inroads have been made in this area.

However, an annual report on equal opportunity, tabled in the Tasmanian Parliament on Thursday told the tale of a different story for people living with a disability.

The report detailed how a person with a disability, who was a member of a sporting club, was called a "spastic and a retard" and told that "people like them" should not be playing sport at all.

The complaint was one of 179 complaints received in 2018-19 - the majority involving disability - and an increase of 32 from 2017-18. Sport is a way that people from all walks of life can participate and exercise in a safe and inclusive way and no one should be discriminated against on any ground and told they can't play.

That's not to say that all people with a disability who participate in sport are treated this way - there are many clubs and teams around Tasmania who have made significant inroads. For example, Mowbray Cricket Club's blind player Callum Harper, or the work that Old Scotch Football Club does with disability support service New Horizons.

There are individual clubs who are doing the right thing and those efforts should be rewarded.

But when 179 complaints are being made, it is disappointing behaviour that is clearly not acceptable and not the thing players and athletes should aspire to.

Sporting heroes are often held up as pillars of society, they are leaders and mentors for the next generation and complaints of this nature mar the good work that is being done. It is also not acceptable for our region, who is gearing up to host the Special Olympics in 2020 and 2022. It's time for all community members, whether involved in sport or not, to take a stand on this issue and make it clear that this kind of behaviour is not going to be tolerated, on any sporting field, or on any team.