Padgen joins BUCS from the English Federation of Disability Sport, where he was Regional Development Manager for the past seven years. There he led the development of a number of projects to create more sporting opportunities for disabled people in the south west of England.

Part-funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and supported by the University of Nottingham, the new post will initially identify what provision is available within the higher education sports sector for disabled student athletes and put together the sector’s first strategy around disability sport.

David Padgen said: “I am thrilled to be taking up this new role and look forward to working with the higher education sector and developing a genuinely inclusive sporting culture in our universities, sharing the excellent good practice already in place and moving it on to the next level.

“This role is extremely exciting and represents a real commitment to improving the experience disabled students have of university sport and therefore of university life.”

Karen Rothery, Chief Executive of BUCS said: “We are delighted to welcome Dave into the organisation as our first national officer for disability sport. Dave brings a vast wealth of knowledge and expertise in this area and having competed at the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games he will help us and the sector put together a new strategy for disability sport on campus.”

Padgen is a keen adventurer and since retiring from competitive athletics in January 2008 he became the first European with cerebral palsy to climb Kilimanjaro. Next summer he aims to be the first person in the world with cerebral palsy to summit Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe.

Padgen will be joining BUCS in January 2010 and be based at the University of Nottingham.