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Pathways

Development pathways and frameworks can be applied to athletes, coaches, officials, or administrators.

Individuals participate in sport for different reasons, including as part of a healthy and active lifestyle, to spend time with friends, to compete against themselves or others, to master new skills, and more. A small number of people will go on to represent their country at the elite level (e.g. professional sports, Paralympic Games, Deaflympics, Special Olympics, etc.). 10

The process from learning and understanding the foundational skills, through participating and competing at different levels, and potentially long-term mastery and success is often referred to as a development pathway or framework. 10

These types of frameworks can help organisations and individuals understand the process of achieving long-term success. 10

While traditionally focussed on athletes, development pathways and frameworks can also be applied to other roles in sport, including for coaches, officials, or administrators. 11, 12

Current guidelines on physical activity as well as talent identification and development in sport often do not explicitly consider the different needs and experiences of people with disability. 13, 14, 15

Lack of access to opportunities often starts at young ages, with fewer opportunities to participate in sporting events and activities, including:

  • Limited opportunities to participate at school 16, 17, 18
  • Lack of accessible sport programs with physical activities that can be done alone often emphasised (e.g. walks, gym/fitness, or dance). 18
  • Short-term programs and initiatives (e.g. non-ongoing grant funding or a research project) that don’t build sustainable pathways or opportunities. 18, 19

Fewer opportunities to participate can lead to lower physical literacy and enjoyment of sport throughout life. By increasing opportunities for people with disability sports can help individuals to start and/or continue their development journeys and to reach their full potential – whether that is enjoying social sport or becoming an elite athlete. 18, 19, 20, 21

Suggestions for practice

To improve pathways and outcomes it is important to shift the perception that people with disability participating in clubs and competitions are odd or inspirational to an everyday, ordinary experience in sport. 18, 22

Some suggestions for how this can be achieved include:

  • Increasing disability sport-specific knowledge among physical education teachers, sports administrators, and coaches, including how to train individuals with a disability. 16, 22, 23
  • Considering legislative solutions to ongoing participation barriers (e.g. requiring inclusion of students with disabilities in school-based sports). 16
  • Providing equitable financial support for athletes with disabilities to participate in both recreational and competitive sport. 16
  • Challenging ‘ableism’ in clubs and society that frame opportunities for people with disability as ‘too difficult’, ‘not core business’, and likely to impact sustainability and competitive success. 22, 24, 25
  • Considering opportunities for reverse integration, where a sport or activity is designed to meet the needs of people with disability but allows participation of people with all abilities, e.g. wheelchair basketball or rugby. This may increase the number of sporting opportunities for people with disability and potentially reduce stigma and misconceptions about disability more generally. 26, 27, 28, 29

Resources and reading

  • If we truly want our Paralympic athletes to shine, their coaches need more support, opens in a new tab, Andrew Bennie, Emma Beckman, Robert Townsend, Steven Rynne, The Conversation, (9 September 2024). Accompanying Paralympic sport’s rise in profile, professionalism and popularity has been a critical focus on developing high quality coaches in these contexts. However, the growing attention given to Paralympians has not extended to the support given to coaches. This is an important oversight, as the delivery and success of para sport revolves around a coaching workforce with the knowledge and understanding of how to create the necessary conditions for inclusion, as well as for supporting high performance.
  • Episode 63: Reverse integration – doing disability sport differently, opens in a new tab, Lesley Evans Ogden, Mosaic/The Inclusion Club, (accessed 27 February 2024). In Canada, wheelchair basketball brings people together regardless of their abilities. Lesley Evans Ogden asks whether this kind of integration could help dispel stigma, discrimination and misconceptions about disability more widely.
  • Including Children and Youth with Disabilities in the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, opens in a new tab, Veronica Allan, York University, SIRC, (3 December 2019). Engaging in regular physical activity, getting enough sleep, and limiting time spent inactive are well known and evidence-based prescriptions for the promotion of overall health and well-being. The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth (ages 5-17) — which consolidate the evidence-based daily requirements for physical activity and inactivity, as well as sleep, into a single comprehensive resource — use the tagline Sweat, Step, Sleep, Sit and a logo in the shape of a “4” to represent a “new movement paradigm that emphasizes the integration of all movement behaviours occurring over a whole day” – moderate to vigorous physical activity (“sweat”), light physical activity (“step”), sleep, and sedentary behaviours (“sit”). But what about the kids and teens who cannot stand, step, or sweat? The Guidelines do not include any evidence-based recommendations for children and youth with a disability. To address this gap, a team of researchers from Queen’s University and the University of British Columbia set out to learn more about the potential inclusivity of the “sweat, step, sleep, sit” guidelines, and how the resource can be adapted for kids and teens of all abilities.
  • The Inclusion Spectrum, planning sport activities for everyone, opens in a new tab, Michael Woods, Inclusive Sport Design, (July 2017). The inclusion spectrum is about considering the range of options available and adapting these to suit the needs, goals and capabilities of participants. Each element of the spectrum should be considered equally as important as the next. Ideally there would be activities on offer for a range of people to choose from across all elements.

  • Talent Development in Paralympic Sport, opens in a new tab, Nima Dehghansai, Ross Pinder, Joe Baker (eds.), Routledge, (2022). Identifying and developing talented athletes to their fullest potential is a central concern of sports scientists, sports coaches, and sports policymakers. However, there is very little practical and theoretical knowledge for those working in Paralympic sport. The book collates the state of the science of current knowledge and practice in talent identification and development in this context by capturing international perspectives of current systems and processes.

  • Annual Disability and Activity Survey 2022-23, opens in a new tab, Activity Alliance (UK), (June 2023). The fourth Annual Disability and Activity Survey report for 2022-23. The survey is the primary source of insight for organisations working to achieve fairness for disabled people in sport and activity. Key findings include:
    • Disabled people were more likely to say they wanted to be more active compared to non-disabled people (77% vs 54%). This “activity gap” has remained consistent in previous years, showing an ongoing unmet need.
    • Disabled people were half as likely to ‘see people like me’ playing and working in sport and physical activity. (22% compared to 44% of those without disability)
    • People with disability were less likely to 'see people like me playing sport and being active' (32% compared to 65% of people without disability).
    • 12% of disabled people wanted the opportunity to become a coach or have a role in delivering physical activity (vs 17% of non-disabled people). This increased to 26% of disabled people who were taking part in organised activities, and to 31% of young disabled people.
  • How inclusive are SA sport clubs? A study into the attitudes and behaviours of members from South Australian mainstream sporting clubs, opens in a new tab, Katrina Ranford, Inclusive Sport SA, (June 2019). In 2018 Inclusive Sport SA was successful in securing a two-year Information Linkages and Capacity Building Project funded by the National Disability Insurance Agency, with the agenda to increase capability of the sector and grow active participation of people with disability (PWD) in mainstream sporting clubs and associations. A pillar of this project saw the consultation with Sport bodies and their members to understand the current landscape with regard to inclusive practices and in particular including people with disability in mainstream sporting clubs. Some key findings include:
    • While most sporting clubs have a good level of facilities for those with physical disabilities, less than 30 percent of local clubs are involved with “inclusion” related activities such as Inclusion Come N Try events or teams for PWD.
    • Almost 60% of participants believe their club would have no idea where to start actively engaging PWD into their teams and club roles, with 88% wanting additional training for coaches and volunteers. It is clear that clubs do not know how to cater for PWD and are keen for additional training in this space to change these figures.
    • While three quarters of respondents support the participation of PWD in their sports’ competition, when asked if including a PWD in a game would negatively affect the quality of a club game, an alarming 43 percent noted that it would in some regard. This suggests that inclusion in principle is highly regarded and communicated, however when ‘inclusion’ joins ‘your’ team it becomes a different story all together.
    • If we want inclusion in sport and society to grow a three-point journey to success is recommended. This includes spending time looking at education and training for deliverers of sport and recreation; for the sector to take accountability of delivering an inclusive environment; and an increase in visibility of people with a disability fulfilling roles in our mainstream clubs. Only then will we shift the perception of PWD participating in mainstream club land from inspirational or odd to everyday, ordinary sporting life.
  • Spotlight on Disability, opens in a new tab, Sport NZ, (December 2018). This spotlight report focuses on understanding the impact of impairments on participation by highlighting the differences and similarities between disabled and non-disabled people’s participation. One of the key findings is overall, disabled people are less likely to participate weekly in play, active recreation or sport. The gap for young people occurs between ages 5 and 7. Weekly participation is matched between ages 8 and 24. From age 25-plus, disabled adults’ participation is lower than for non-disabled adults. Participation continues to decline with increasing age, in contrast with a relatively stable picture for non-disabled adults up until 75-plus.
    • When participating in PE, disabled young people are less likely to enjoy the experience than non-disabled young people. Sixty-seven per cent of disabled young people enjoy PE, compared with 81 per cent of non-disabled young people.
    • Physical literacy: Disabled people have poorer results than non-disabled people in all six domains of physical literacy, with the biggest gap for disabled people on confidence, competence and opportunity to take part in activities of their choice, compared with non-disabled. There are differences in physical literacy by age and impairment. The widest gap in physical literacy among disabled young people is between ages 8 and 11 and disabled people with a communication, mixing with others and socialising impairment.
    • Levels of confidence vary among disabled young people, with those aged between 8 and 11 low in confidence to participate and those aged between 12 and 14 more confident in their ability to participate.

  • Children with disability in competitive Little Athletics: a systems thinking approach to rules and law, opens in a new tab, Dominique Moritz, Simone Pearce, Kerry West, et al., Sport in Society, Volume 275), pp.764-782, (2024). Children’s competitive sport in Australia poses barriers for children with disabilities. Sporting structures generally do not provide opportunities for children with disabilities to compete in a manner that is meaningful and fair to them, and generally not with the mainstream competitions. Such treatment may be discriminatory, either wrongfully or unlawfully so. Using Australia’s Little Athletics as a case study, this paper uses systems thinking to holistically map the influences on a child with disability’s experiences in a sporting contest, to identify how the socially constructed environment affects structures and rules and how the law might shape those.
  • “It Looks Good on Paper, But It Was Never Meant to Be Real”: Mixed-Gender Events in the Paralympic Movement, opens in a new tab, Nikolaus A. Dean, et al., Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, Volume 41(2), pp.205-228, (2024). Although the Paralympic Games have been around for over 60 years, women remain underrepresented in almost all aspects of the Paralympic Movement. It has been suggested that a way to increase women’s involvement is through the implementation of mixed-gender events. On paper, this approach makes sense. However, when it comes to the implementation of mixed-gender opportunities for women, it is less clear how effective these events are in increasing participation by women in Para sport. Through document analysis and interviews with athletes and organizers of mixed-gender Paralympic sport, we explore the various strategies that four mixed-gender sports have used to address the issue of gender parity. Using critical feminist theories, we illustrate how larger social, political, and cultural ideas about gender influence women’s experiences within these events and discuss the potential of using mixed-gender initiatives to address gender parity within the Paralympic Movement.
  • Identity in elite level disability sport: a systematic review and meta-study of qualitative research, opens in a new tab, William Crossen, Nick Wadsworth, Noora Ronkainen, et al., International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, (4 July 2023). This meta-study evaluated qualitative identity literature within elite disabled sport. Following a systematic search of EBSCO SPORTDiscus, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science, nine articles met the inclusion criteria. The meta-study examined how identity was framed from participant or author perspectives, employing narrative analysis to understand the participant stories and broader storylines crafted by authors. Two distinct narratives were co-constructed; Re-birth: characterising athlete identity experiences and how overcoming career challenges developed traits necessary for elite athlete status, and Tragedy: how authors’ interpretations indicated that although athletes achieved personal sporting success, the ‘bigger battle’ of how disability was presented within society remained. The Re-birth and Tragedy narratives update the prospective gap between how elite disability athletes story their experiences and their framing within society.
  • Game Changers: A participatory action research project for/with students with disabilities in school sport settings, opens in a new tab, Daniel Robinson, Sebastian Harenberg, William Walters, et al., Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, Volume 5, (April 2023). Although school communities may be required to provide physical education opportunities for all students—including for those with disabilities—the same is not generally true with respect to school sport (i.e., participation in interscholastic or intramural sport programs). Hence, opportunities for inclusive school sport participation are consequently limited. Recognizing the need for continued attention and action in this area, we recently developed and piloted Game Changers—a participatory action research project. Strictly positive findings, among others, relate to the following: improving upon students' perceived competence and autonomy, inviting student voice, identifying and responding to sport participation barriers, and creating genuine sport opportunities within school settings. More undesirable yet informative findings, among others, relate to the following: unachieved intrinsic motivation and belonging, (un)sustainability of sport programs without “interventions” like Game Changers, recreation/leisure as “substitutes” for sport, and a continued want for authentic leadership and mentorship opportunities.
  • Sport Participation for People with Disabilities: Exploring the Potential of Reverse Integration and Inclusion through Wheelchair Basketball, opens in a new tab, Rebecca Ramsden, Rick Hayman, Paul Potrac, et al., International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Volume 20(3), 2491, (January 2023). Reverse integration is defined as the inclusion of able-bodied people into disability sport. For decades, there have been movements towards integrating people with a disability in mainstream society. There has been a lack of research supporting the movement of able-bodied involvement in disability sport, known as reverse integration. In this study, the real-life experiences and motivations of 11 national wheelchair basketball players (four able-bodied and seven with a disability) were explored, identifying the potential of reverse integration and what influenced the players involvement. Thematic analysis was employed using a deductive approach. The social-relational model was used as a framework to help interpret the findings. The results highlighted that health and social benefits were key factors towards prolonged engagement in wheelchair basketball, and it was reported that reverse integration led to an increased mutual understanding of the impact of (dis)ability. All participants reported positive experiences and supported able-bodied involvement, suggesting that able-bodied players play a key role and help to grow the sport locally. However, involvement of able-bodied players was not supported at international level. This challenges the concept of inclusion at higher level and whether the sport could be more inclusive. These findings could provide direction to coaches and policymakers for developing further inclusive opportunities at all levels. Further research may explore coach education programs and learning experiences of becoming an inclusive coach to ensure coaches know how to create, stimulate and coach in inclusive sport environments.
  • Coach and Athlete Perspectives on Talent Transfer in Paralympic Sport, opens in a new tab, Nima Dehghansai, Alia Mazhar, Joseph Baker, Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, Volume 40(2), pp.280-302, (2023). Research pertaining to the experiences and motives of Paralympic athletes who transfer between sports is scant. This study aimed to address this gap through semistructured interviews with Canadian Paralympic coaches (n = 35) and athletes (n = 12). Three higher-order themes of “alternative to retirement,” “career extension,” and “compatibility” were identified. The subthemes of “psychobehavioral” and “physical and physiological” (from the higher-order theme of alternative to retirement) captured reasons leading to transfer, which are similar to reasons athletes may consider retirement. The subthemes of career extension—“better opportunities” and “beneficial outcomes”—shed light on factors that contributed to the withdrawal of negative experiences and reinforcement of positive outcomes associated with transferring sports. Last, compatibility had three subthemes of “resources,” “sport-specific,” and “communication,” which encapsulated factors athletes should consider prior to their transfer. In conclusion, the participants highlighted the importance of transparent and effective communication between athletes and sports to align and establish realistic expectations for everyone involved.
  • Disability inclusion in beach precincts: beach for all abilities – a community development approach through a social relational model of disability lens, opens in a new tab, Simon Darcy, Hazel Maxwell, Melissa Edwards, et al., Sport Management Review, Volume 36(1), pp.1-23, (2023). In this paper we examine a community development approach to including people with disability in a sport context within beach precincts for a project called Beach for All Abilities. The aim of this research is to investigate innovative and transformative solutions that enable inclusion. The research design used multiple methods and data sources across 30 projects and three geographically diverse precincts. The theoretical framework brought together community development and the social relational model of disability to inform the research. The findings show how the funded organisation working in partnership with not-for-profit, commercial and government programs, facilitated processes and practices enabling greater access and inclusion for people with disability in the beach precincts. These included solutions to constraints in the built, outdoor and natural environments across mobility, vision, hearing, intellectual and mental health disability from low to very high support needs. Yet, the overall program had a major shortcoming in establishing ongoing beach-related activities for people with disability. The paper concludes with implications for longevity, limitations, and future research.
  • National Paralympic sport policies influencing a country’s Paralympic success, opens in a new tab, Aurelie Pankowiak, Camilla Brockett, Veerle De Bosscher, et al., International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, Volume 15(3), pp.435-455, (2023). The Paralympics Games are increasing in competitiveness as more countries seek top medal outcomes. In response, governments are focusing on the development and implementation of effective national sport policies/systems to optimise Paralympic success. The aim of this research was to identify key national Paralympic sport policy interventions influencing a country’s Paralympic medal outcomes. This exploratory qualitative study was informed by a realist perspective, and by the social relational and human rights models of disability. Twenty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted with national Paralympic sport managers from the United Kingdom, Australia, France and Canada, and the data was analysed using qualitative descriptive analysis. Findings confirm that existing national Olympic sport policies are also important for Paralympic success, however, within these policies, parasport-specific processes were identified, and two policy interventions unique to Paralympic sports were found: integration of disability-specific and Paralympic sport knowledge in the sporting system, and a national framework for Paralympic athlete classification. This study advances knowledge on national Paralympic sport policies and suggests that researchers, evaluators, and practitioners need to account for Paralympic-specific policies and processes. Tailoring policies to the specificities of the Paralympic domain may provide competitive advantage in the Paralympic Games. This study argues for further research to understand how the identified policy interventions may be influenced by the country’s context.
  • Optimising health equity through para sport, opens in a new tab, Kristina Fagher, Stephanie DeLuca, Wayne Derman, et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine, Volume 57(3), pp.131-132, (2023). Nearly one in five of the world’s population lives with a disability. While physical activity, including sports participation, is important for all, people with disabilities are at inherent risk for low engagement with a consequential increased risk for chronic disease related to a sedentary lifestyle. Barriers to sports participation include poor knowledge of para sport (eg, which sports are available, how to find opportunities or train), lack of social support, poor accessibility to training facilities, lack of equipment and the devaluation of para sport across society4 (figure 1). An additional concern is the inequity in financial support for para sport, especially in low-resourced environments. Even in high-income countries, para sport is often underfunded in comparison to elite sport for athletes with no disability, and data have shown that Paralympic athletes do not have the same opportunities as Olympic athletes. This inequity begins early in life given that children with a disability are often excluded from physical education sessions or marginalised within the school sports system. To achieve this, more opportunities for people with disabilities are needed within healthcare, the education sector and sports organisations. Some potential solutions to promote health through para sport include: Prioritise research that focuses on athletes with disabilities; Educate healthcare professionals, physical education teachers, sports administrators and coaches about para sport, including how to train individuals with a disability; Inform policy-makers and advocates about the health benefits of para sport as well as ongoing barriers to participation that might be addressed through legislative solutions (eg, required inclusion of students with disabilities in school-based sports); Ensure that para athletes have the same financial support as athletes with no disability, providing equitable opportunities to participate in both recreational and competitive sport. Improving health equity for people with disabilities through physical activity and sport has the potential to enhance health among the 15% of people living with disabilities. This should be an urgent global health priority.
  • Parents in the parasport pathway: Parental experiences of facilitating their child’s engagement in competitive disability sport, opens in a new tab, Janine Coates. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, Volume 35(6), pp.1050-1071, (2023). Eleven parents of disabled young athletes were interviewed about their experiences of supporting their child in their parasport journeys. Parents discussed their dissatisfaction with mainstream physical education and school sport and their concerns about their child’s social belonging. Sport was seen as a route toward supporting social inclusion but engaging in youth sport as a parent of a disabled child brought challenges and benefits.
  • “WOT” Do We Know and Do About Physical Activity of Children and Adolescents With Disabilities? A SWOT-Oriented Synthesis of Para Report Cards, opens in a new tab, Yeshayahu Hutzler, Sharon Barak, Salome Aubert, et al., Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, Volume 40(3), pp.431-455, (2023). The purpose was to synthesize information gathered from the interpretation and conclusion sections of the Global Matrix of Para Report Cards on the physical activity of children and adolescents with disabilities. The synthesis was based on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats framework. The procedure consisted of three stages: (a) the application of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as the theoretical framework; (b) identifying and aligning Global Matrix indicators and benchmarks with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health components through a Delphi approach; and (c) using content analysis to identify themes from specific report cards. Outcomes reveal that further attention toward including children and adolescents with disabilities in fitness assessments is needed as well as adapted assessment methods. Program availability, equipment and facilities, and professional training emerged as strengths but need further development to overcome weaknesses. Paralympic inspiration was an opportunity, whereas extreme weather conditions presented potential threats to physical activity participation among children and adolescents with disabilities.
  • Gender Equity in Disability Sport: A Rapid Scoping Review, opens in a new tab, Diane Culver, Majidullah Shaikh, Danielle Alexander, et al., Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, Volume 16(4), pp.383-405, (March 2022). Six databases relevant to the sport sciences were searched, yielding an initial 1,543 records; after two phases of screening and data extraction, 61 records were selected for synthesis. Descriptive statistics were generated on information related to the record contexts, approaches, and results. Qualitative descriptive analyses were used to group data inductively into themes in line with addressing the research question. Most records examined the experiences, participation, and representation of adults in elite contexts. Insights across records pointed to gender inequities in participation and experience, often influenced by the intersection of ableist and masculinity notions. Limited research also pointed to strategies that can contribute to advancing gender equity. Implications were discussed to advance understandings of disability sport and enhance participation across levels (e.g., coaching, athletic) and contexts (e.g., elite/Paralympic, recreational).
  • Managing parasport: An investigation of sport policy factors and stakeholders influencing para-athletes’ career pathways, opens in a new tab, Jacqueline Martins Patatas, Veerle De Bosscher, Inge Derom, et.al., Sport Management Review, Volume 23(5), pp.937-951, (January 2020). In this paper, the authors seek to identify which sports policy factors and stakeholders influence the development of athletic career pathways in Paralympic sport (i.e., attraction, retention, competition, talent identification and development, elite, and retirement phases). Drawing from the theories of disability and the literature on elite sport policy, an interview protocol on policy dimensions and principles to support para-athletes’ development was created, and 32 key stakeholders from the Brazilian Paralympic sport context were interviewed. The data revealed that coaching provision and education as a policy factor and coaches with disability-specific knowledge as a stakeholder were perceived as most influential during all the phases of para-athletes’ careers. The classification system emerged as a parasport-specific factor that can facilitate or inhibit the development of para-athletes’ careers, influencing the implementation of policies. The authors suggest that understanding the concept of disability is notably essential when stakeholders have to think strategically and adapt management principles from able-bodied sporting contexts. Therefore, critically positioning disability within policy decision making can improve the thinking, action, and behaviour of policymakers, coaches, and sports managers, leading to the more efficient delivery of successful para-athletes’ careers.
  • Participation-performance tension and gender affect recreational sports clubs’ engagement with children and young people with diverse backgrounds and abilities, opens in a new tab, Spaaij R, Lusher D, Jeanes R, et.al., PLoS ONE, 14(4): e0214537, (2019). This mixed methods study investigated how diversity is understood, experienced and managed in junior sport. The study combined in-depth interviews (n = 101), surveys (n = 450) and observations over a three-year period. The results revealed that a focus on performance and competitiveness negatively affected junior sports clubs’ commitment to diversity and inclusive participation. Gender and a range of attitudes about diversity were also strongly related. On average, we found that those who identified as men were more likely to support a pro-performance stance, be homophobic, endorse stricter gender roles, and endorse violence as a natural masculine trait. In addition, those who identified as men were less likely to hold pro-disability attitudes. These findings suggest that the participation-performance tension and gender affect to what extent, and how, sports clubs engage children and young people with diverse backgrounds and abilities.
  • A global perspective on disparity of gender and disability for deaf female athletes, opens in a new tab, Becky Clark, Johanna Mesch, Sport in Society, Volume 21(1), pp.64-75, (2018). Although the significance of gender and disability issues has gradually increased in the global society during the past three decades, there are only few studies with regard to the deaf community and sport. This article examines the level of Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing women’s participation in sports and the factors for their continued underrepresentation. The Women Sport International’s Task Force on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Girls and Women in Sport conducted a world-wide survey to determine and assess the needs of deaf and hard of hearing girls and women in sport. A snapshot of the results and issues and future aspirations are provided.
  • About inclusive participation in sport: cultural desirability and technical obstacles, opens in a new tab, Alexy Valet, Sport in Society, Volume 21(1), pp.137-151, (2018). What does it mean full participation of people with disabilities in ‘sports for all’? Beyond the right of access, the right of sharing can enrich the quality of participation in sport, overcoming segregation. But how can be guaranteed an ‘inclusive participation’ that avoids the double risk of ‘normalizing’ integration or ‘charitable’ integration? Beyond 'being among the others' or even 'doing with the others', people with disabilities should also have the possibility to ‘be valued by the others’ through the real recognition of their participation in this shared sport experience. This is not only a cultural shift, but also a technical challenge, especially to fill the persistent gap between the inclusive rhetoric and the inclusive practices really available to the people. We will explore then the key issue of the technicality of inclusive participation in sport, showing the interest of applying the principles of design for all to the architecture of sports rules.
  • Sport Participation for Elite Athletes With Physical Disabilities: Motivations, Barriers, and Facilitators, opens in a new tab, Gabriella McLoughlin, Courtney Weisman Fecske, Yvette Castaneda, et al., Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, Volume 34(4), pp.421-441, (2017). There are many reasons why individuals are motivated to participate in sports. Less attention, however, is given for studying motivation and athlete development in adapted sport. The purpose of this study was to identify the motivations, facilitators, and barriers to sports participation of elite athletes with a physical disability. Participants (N = 23, 17 males, six females, mean age: 24.3 years) were recruited through online listservs, e-mails, and snowball sampling. A semistructured interview guide was employed. Analysis was conducted and grounded in self-determination theory and literature surrounding barriers and facilitators of sports participation. Through coding by multiple researchers, six themes emerged. Themes indicated that athletes attributed participation to constructs of self-determination theory as well as overcoming specific barriers such as cost, time constraints, and lack of opportunity. Among facilitators to their athletic development, there were empowerment and advocacy, increased health, college scholarships, and achieving performance-related goals.
  • Managing disability sport: from athletes with disabilities to inclusive organisational perspectives, opens in a new tab, Misener L, Sport Management Review, Volume 17(1), pp.1-7, (2014). What has become evident is that managing disability sport also has implications for managing sport generally. People with disability are part of the sporting family and need to be considered across all organisational aspects, not just a historical focus on disability. While diversity management in sport more broadly has championed the inclusion of gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, age, and religious issues across the sporting family, this has not been the case with people with disability. Organisations need to consider people with a disability as employees, volunteers, coaches, and as members or spectators depending on the sporting endeavour. This article contains a collection of papers focusing on management issues that centre on constraints to sport participation, supply side attributes, participant behaviours, consumption of disability sport, policy implementation, and sponsor congruence.

  • SPARTAN Sports and recreation for people with disabilities, opens in a new tab, University of Sydney/FMH Networks, YouTube, (13 March 2024). A series of short talks and a panel discussion about sport and physical recreation for people with disabilities.
    • Presentation 1 - Sport and Recreation for People with Disability, Craig Carscadden PLY, World Abilitysport.
    • Presentation 2 - The effects of sport and physical recreation for adults with physical or intellectual disabilities: a review of the evidence, Leanne Hassett, A/Profesor, School of Health Sciences, University of Sydney.
    • Presentation 3 - Development of Physical Disability Rules in Rugby League - from Inception to NRL Affiliation: "Triumphs and Tears", Dr Che Fornusek, EXSS, School of Health.
    • Presentation 4 - Talking about research projects 'Sport for Children with Disabilities: Evidence and Systems' and 'A Systems Thinking Approach to the Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Little Athletics in Australia', Kerry West PhD student, Institute for Musculoskeletal Health
    • Panel Discussion - Dr Phil Hamdorf, Heather Berry, and Rae Anderson PLY in addition to speakers, Criag Carscadden, Leanne Hassett, Kerry West.
  • Suncoast Spinners Reverse Inclusion, opens in a new tab, Suncoast Spinners, YouTube, (13 November 2018). Reverse Inclusion aims to deliver a truly inclusive sporting opportunity where people of all abilities can play sport together on an equal playing field (court). The importance of access to sport and the benefits of inclusion practices within the wider community are major awareness aims of the program.

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C4S-Footer-SASI
C4S-Footer-SASI
C4S-Footer-TIS
C4S-Footer-TIS
C4S-Footer-VIS
C4S-Footer-VIS
C4S-Footer-WAIS
C4S-Footer-WAIS
First Nations Flags, the Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag.
The Clearinghouse for Sport pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and acknowledge the valuable contribution Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make to Australian society and sport.