Further Resources and Reading

Dive deeper into the research on what supports and limits participation in sport.
Dive deeper into the research on what supports and limits participation in sport.
 
Powerchair footballer Rebecca Evans tackles obstacles keeping women with disabilities out of sports, opens in a new tab, Eleanor Beidatsch, ABC, (10 December 2023). Rebecca Evans has earned a formidable on-court reputation in powerchair football, but is the only woman on her team.
How to create a more equitable future for women with a disability in sport, opens in a new tab, Georgia Munro-Cook, Siren Sport/ABC, (26 April 2023). Just 19 per cent of women with a disability are involved in organised sport, compared to 34 per cent of non-disabled women and 27 per cent of men with a disability. At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, the Australian team was made up of 43.6 per cent women-identified athletes. While that may have been above the worldwide average of 42.08 per cent, it was still below the Australian Olympic team, which comprised of 54 per cent women. Paralympics Australia has recently released a strategic plan that includes an impassioned plea to invest in disability sport. Pointing out that "of the 4.3 million people with a disability, only one in four participates in sport, while three in four want to participate," Paralympics Australia has rightly identified the need to change the sporting landscape to ensure a more equitable future.
Blind Sports Australia releases inaugural sport participation data, opens in a new tab, Blind Sports Australia, (12 October 2022). Findings reveal the motivations and barriers to people participating in sport and show opportunities such as boosting female blind sport participation are a priority. While transportation and travel stand out as the single largest obstacle for a person with a vision impairment to play sport. Among several reported barriers to participation, the largest is transport. 94% of people who are vision impaired need transportation to participate in a sport, and the majority (59%) need the support of family, friend, or support worker to get there. Travelling by car is the most popular option (52%), followed by public transport (41%), and taxi services (37%).
Males are much more likely to play blind cricket (20%) than females (7%). The same story applies in coaching – across all sports males more often coach at 21%, compared to 9% of females – but this number drops to just 5% of female coaches who are blind or have a vision impairment.
Across the board, people’s motivations for participating in sport are similar with both groups citing health/fitness, competition, socialising/making new friends and connections to the community. People with a vision impairment are more likely to play sport to learn new skills, pursue high performance sport/competition, and meet new people.
Altona Roosters help James Barling achieve his dream of playing rugby league, opens in a new tab, Tom Maddocks, ABC, (19 July 2022). James Barling lives with ADHD and autism, which has made his lifelong dream of playing rugby league difficult. Barling played his first game for Victorian club Altona Roosters and scored three tries. Barling's participation is hoped to spread greater awareness and understanding of people with autism. That opportunity arose when opposition club Northern Thunder heard of Barling's situation and proposed a way of getting him involved in their third-division match. They struck a "gentleman's agreement" whereby Barling would play but with his wellbeing and safety in mind.
Planet Fitness to Begin Including Inclusive Fitness Equipment in Its Clubs, opens in a new tab, Club Industry [Canada], (24 September 2021). Planet Fitness Inc., Hampton, New Hampshire, and Paralyzed Veterans of America, National Council on Independent Living and American Council of the Blind (collectively Coalition for Inclusive Fitness) are working together to add accessible exercise equipment in Planet Fitness locations for people with disabilities, the organizations announced this week. "People with disabilities face significant barriers when attempting to access health and wellness activities, and it's clear that health inequity is often due to a lack of access and opportunity,” he said. “Today's commitment is another way we are working to eliminate barriers and enhance people's lives by providing a high-quality fitness experience for everyone."
Supporting kids with cerebral palsy go for gold with cycling, opens in a new tab, Dr Rachel Toovey, University of Melbourne Pursuit, (17 September 2021). Specialist programs led by physiotherapists that teach children with cerebral palsy how to ride boost the odds of success by ten times. We all know that physical activity is important for our health and wellbeing. But for kids with CP, it’s not always as easy as jumping on a bike for a ride. Our recently published study, opens in a new tab provides new evidence-based guidance to help kids with CP to get cycling. We found that the physiotherapist-led bike skills group program was better than the parent-led home program for supporting kids with CP to achieve their goals. Kids in the physiotherapist-led program had 10 times greater odds of achieving their goals in the program week and four times greater odds of retaining this achievement three months later.
Paralympics haven’t decreased barriers to physical activity for most people with disabilities, opens in a new tab, Kathleen Martin Ginis, Cameron Gee, University of British Columbia, The Conversation, (22 August 2021). In a recent research review, we reported that children, youth and adults with disabilities are up to 62 per cent less likely to meet the World Health Organization’s physical activity guidelines than the general population. This is because people with disabilities face over 200 barriers to doing physical activity, two of the largest being built environments and transportation. For example, most public playgrounds, swimming pools, and outdoor tracks are built in ways that make them inaccessible to wheelchair users.
Removing barriers and bringing back the enjoyment factor in disability sport, opens in a new tab, sportanddev.org, (25 November 2020). A research study across three universities in UK found that one of the major barriers to sport and physical activity for persons with disability is the lack of the enjoyment factor, which can cause persons with disabilities to fixate on the difficulties of engaging, such as the cost and hassle of getting there. Barriers to sport and physical activity participation for persons with disabilities included cost of transport and activities, ineffective communication and advertisement, preconceived images of sport as competitive and judgmental, and anxieties about sporting abilities. Perhaps the most significant barrier, and the main challenge for future provision, is that many persons with disabilities have not enjoyed, or perceive that they will not enjoy, partaking in sport and physical activity. Some key suggestions for future practice included: Decentering ‘sport’ in favor of ‘activity’, within a multi-activity approach, which places emphasis on fun and enjoyment, and socializing through blended physical and non-physical provision.
Ensuring providers employ a knowledgeable and empathetic workforce, who also work more closely with non-sporting disability support organizations vis-a-vis communication, time and place, and the gradual integration of physical activities into the mainstream provision of these organizations.
Adapting Sport and Physical Activity for Individuals with IDD: Highlighting a Decade of Inclusion and Outcomes, opens in a new tab, Jordan Deneau, Kelly Carr, Chad Sutherland, et.al., SIRC, (4 October 2020). Adults with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD - including autism spectrum disorder, developmental delay) tend to engage in lower levels of physical activity compared to the typically developing population, and thus experience poor health and physical fitness. Fortunately, evidence indicates that increasing active leisure in this population can enhance their physical, social, and emotional wellbeing. Beyond benefits at the individual level, participation may also challenge prejudicial beliefs about the abilities of people with IDD, stimulating social change toward greater inclusion. Many barriers to physical activity for these individuals, including physiological factors, lack of self-confidence, transportation issues, financial limitations, lack of awareness of options, negative supports from caregivers and decision-makers, and the absence of clear policies for engaging in regular activity in residential and day service programs. Key facilitators to physical activity may include enjoyment, support from others, social contact and friendship, familiarity, and a consistent routine of daily activities.
Lack of online access a barrier for athletes with disabilities: study, opens in a new tab, University of Alberta, (30 September 2020). Despite overtures to the contrary, para-athletes remain largely invisible within the vast majority of Canadian athletics websites, according to a University of Alberta study showing access to sport for people with disabilities is all but completely missing online. "The assumption is that it has to do with the motivation and desire of a person with disabilities," said Peers, whose previous research shows the structural barriers to participation are so massive, there is no way to even begin to assess the role of attitudes and motivation. "The good sites were not only easy to navigate, they articulated the barriers that they're actively trying to challenge." The solutions to common barriers included providing free or inexpensive rental equipment, ensuring facilities are accessible and ensuring coaches have experience or training in supporting athletes with disabilities.
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.
Culture of competition discourages some kids from sport, opens in a new tab, Victoria University media release, (6 May 2019). A study of Aussie sports clubs finds that a culture of competitiveness is preventing kids from diverse backgrounds and abilities from participating in junior sport. The research also showed that many clubs were uncertain about the concept and how it related to them, or how to actively promote diversity and social inclusion. Some other key findings included: Diversity was often viewed as diverting resources from a club’s core business, which revolved around organising teams and improving playing skills; Clubs that actively promoted diversity were generally regarded by coaches and parents from outside clubs as not serious clubs, and suitable only for children who were ‘no good’ at sport; Men at clubs that focused on competition above participation were, on average, more likely to be homophobic, endorse stricter gender roles, enforce violence as a natural masculine trait, and were less likely to hold pro-disability attitudes.
Breaking Barriers: Supporting Disabled Teenage Girls to be Active Research, opens in a new tab, Access Sport, (May 2024). The unique experiences of disabled teenage girls can be lost when viewed through research focused solely on girls or disabled young people. The goal of this research was to understand their experiences so that we can create engaging sport and exercise offers that work for them. The research used surveys and focus groups with teenage girls in the UK, aged 11-19 years, who had a disability or impairment; a long-term health condition; and/or a neurodiverse condition, to explore disabled teenage girls’ experiences, attitudes and barriers towards sport and exercise. Some key findings included: Disabled teenage girls understand the benefits of being active (81%) and identified several different reasons why being active is important to them. Feeling good about themselves (74%), having fun and feeling happy (74%), and good mental health (74%) were highly rated by disabled teenage girls.
Disabled teenage girls are frustrated by the lack of suitable opportunities outside of school and struggle to enjoy sport in school, making provision outside school even more important.
Only 41% of disabled teenage girls enjoy PE and just 39% feel comfortable joining in sport and exercise at school or college. This is a concern as we know PE and school sport can be foundational in shaping young people’s relationships with being active.
Disabled teenage girls face the same barriers to sport and exercise as non-disabled teenage girls, but there are additional complex barriers that mean many feel excluded from sport.
Girls we spoke to interpreted ‘not having anyone similar to them doing sport or exercise’ in different ways. Some said they don’t see anyone with their impairment taking part and are put off sport or exercise as a result. Others said they don’t see girls of the same ethnicity or faith as them taking part, but they didn’t explicitly relate this barrier to their impairment. This highlights the importance of considering multiple social categorisations such as race, disability or socio-economic status when examining teenage girls’ experiences.
Girls-only opportunities help girls find joy in sport and, for disabled teenage girls, participating with other disabled girls is important.
Coaches and instructors need to understand the support needs of disabled teenage girls to prevent girls from having a negative experience or being excluded all together.
Disabled teenage girls want to take part in a judgement-free environment where fun is prioritised, and coaches, volunteers and teachers play an important role in creating this environment for them.
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.
Four in ten disabled people (37%) said the cost-of-living crisis has affected how active they are, versus three in ten non-disabled people (32%).
However – many disabled people fear that being more active will result in their benefits or financial assistance being removed (37%).
Almost two-thirds (64%) of disabled people said the government should focus on making activities affordable to help more people to be active.
Nearly two-thirds of disabled people who felt lonely agreed that being active could help them feel less lonely (65%).
Younger disabled people and people with five or more impairments were most likely to say the cost-of-living crisis has reduced how active they are (58% and 56%) and how much they socialise (74% and 75%).
Eight in ten disabled people (80%) said that their impairment stops them from doing as much physical activity as they would like.
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.
EVERYONE CAN: The experiences and expectations of the 1 in 5, making physical activity accessible and welcoming for all, opens in a new tab, UK active, (2022). There is a clear commercial opportunity for the physical activity sector. The economic value of the ‘purple pound’ is worth £249bn per year, and four in five (81%) of disabled adults want to do more physical activity than they currently engage in. Like many, disabled people (70%) are motivated to be active as a way of either improving or maintaining their physical health. The physical activity sector has an essential role in narrowing the disparities and inequalities faced by disabled people today. ukactive’s vision is to support and help develop a sector that is freely accessed and utilised by all, enabling everyone to be active and participate in whatever capacity they wish. Our sector wants to continue improving the standards for disabled people in every community.
Supporting Regional Clubs Research: Interim Report, opens in a new tab, Regional Sport Victoria, (October 2021). Responses to this survey paint a picture of the challenges faced by community club, leagues, and associations throughout regional Victoria. Among other findings and requests, Courses around inclusion, particularly for people with disabilities, were highly requested. Many community sports organisations would like to be able to offer such programs but are unsure as to where to begin or how to do it.
Disability Sport Review, opens in a new tab, R.C. Richard Davidson, Gayle McPherson, Observatory for Sport in Scotland, (August 2021). While the barriers and motivations for sport participation for people with a disability are broadly similar to those without a disability there are some additional barriers in terms of accessibility, physical and mental health directly related to disability, lack of opportunity and pain. It also seems that disabled sport participation is less focused on competition but more on the physical health benefits, fun and social interaction, despite the best efforts of some key organisations in Scotland. It is likely that there are examples of successful interventions to increase disabled sport participation from the good works of Scottish Disability Sport but there is no central database for these examples nor has there been a systematic analysis on these interventions to establish best practice. However, there is no good quality data on the specific barriers and motivations for sport participation in Scotland particularly across different disabled groups and thus this is a key gap in our knowledge required to underpin policy and strategy.
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 percent of participants believe their club would have no idea where to start actively engaging PWD into their teams and club roles, with 88 percent wanting additional training for coaches and volunteers.
It is clear that clubs do not know how to cater for PWD, 86 percent of respondents would see value in their club and SSO’s arranging more training for coaches and volunteers around inclusion.
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 principal 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. Disabled young people with one impairment are just as likely to participate weekly as non-disabled young people, whereas disabled adults with one impairment are less likely to participate weekly than non-disabled adults. Weekly participation for young people and adults drops with two or more impairments.
Disabled people are less likely to participate competitively. This is particularly the case between ages 8 and 14 and from 35-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.
Motivation: Disabled young people are more likely to participate for fitness or health and less likely to participate for fun, compared with non-disabled young people. There is no difference in the rank order of participation motivations between disabled and non - disabled adults. Disabled adults are more likely to participate to meet people or be part of a group than nondisabled. This is particularly the case between ages 25 and 34 when participation among disabled adults begins to decline.
Barriers: Disabled people share the top two barriers to participation: lack of time and low levels of motivation. Although, in comparison with non-disabled people, time is less of a barrier for disabled people, and poor motivation is more of a barrier. Disabled people aged between 15 and 24 are more likely to cite lack of motivation, not having the equipment needed to participate, family unable to afford, location of facilities or spaces, no one to be active with and not wanting to fail as barriers to participation. Disabled young people with an impairment in communicating, mixing with others or socialising identify the most barriers, score highest on lack of motivation as a barrier and are less likely to participate in competitive sports and activities Disabled people with an impairment in walking, lifting or bending impairment are more likely to want to increase their participation. Disabled adults have more barriers than non-disabled adults. Poor health increases with age and is more marked as a barrier for disabled adults from age 50-plus. It is from age 50-plus that injury as a barrier begins to decline and poor health increases. 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. Not having the equipment is more of a barrier for young people with a walking, lifting or bending impairment. Young people with this impairment have a strong appetite to increase their participation.
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.
Evidence-Based Strategies for Building Quality Participation in Sport for Children, Youth, and Adults with a Disability, opens in a new tab, Canadian Disability Participation Project, (2018). There are three main categories in which strategies to facilitate the building blocks can be implemented: (1) the physical environment (e.g., accessibility), (2) the program environment (e.g., how sport tasks are designed), and (3) the social environment (e.g., coaches, family, peers, volunteers). While all of these strategies may contribute to the creation of quality experiences in parasport, some of these strategies are also necessary for any form of participation to occur (i.e., access and opportunity to participate). In total, 25 evidence-informed strategies have been linked to one or more of the six building blocks of quality experiences. These strategies are the foundation of a quality experience. This supporting evidence is outlined briefly in the pages that follow.
Overcoming barriers to participation, opens in a new tab, British Blind Sport (2015). Sport and recreational activities can enhance the lives of people with visual impairments by improving their health and increasing social interaction. British Blind Sport conducted a survey to understand how blind and partially sighted people overcome barriers to participation in sport, and to understand the motivations of visually impaired people for taking up sport. Telephone interviews and focus groups were used to collect data. This report identifies a number of motivations as well as barriers. Practical solutions are offered to help visually impaired persons, and organisations providing services to them, overcome the barriers. Case studies are also provided.
Getting Involved in Sport: A report about people with disability taking part in sport (2012),  Australian Sports Commission  (2012). Over 1000 persons were surveyed during 2010-11 to determine their thoughts on sport for persons with disability. Key findings from this survey include: (1) taking part in community activities and interacting with other people are important motivations to participate in sport; (2) sport promoted a sense of achievement and self-esteem; (3) sport provided a simulating environment that promoted positive health outcomes, and; (4) sport was fun. The survey found that ‘disability’ was not the main reason for non-participation in sport. Cost factors; such as transport requirements, support personnel (when required), and club fees appear to be a major barrier to participation. 75% of people with disability (who already play sport) want to play more; this should give sporting organisations good reason to make their programs and venues more inclusive.
Understanding barriers to sport participation (2010), Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, VicHealth report (2010). VicHealth has identified specific segments within the community where participation in sport remains problematic, including people with a disability. To encourage greater participation, VicHealth was looking to gain greater understanding of the barriers to participation and ongoing involvement in sport among these target groups. Given the nature of the information sought a qualitative research methodology was proposed, involving in depth interviews with participants in the 2009 Australian Masters Games (AMG) and the preparation of ‘case studies’ for each participant. The structure of the research program involved a two-stage design, with initial face-to-face in depth interviews conducted immediately following the AMG with follow-up telephone interviews. The initial interview looked at participants’ current involvement in and attitudes towards sport and physical activity, the AMG experience, future intentions in relation to regular sporting participation and any potential barriers to involvement. The follow-up interview looked to identify changes in sporting behaviour, whether intentions to participate had come to fruition, and if not what had prevented involvement. Three interviews were undertaken with participants in the disability segment. Some key insights from the initial discussions included: The participants spoken to within the scope of this research included people with both intellectual and physical disabilities. What became obvious are the differences in experience, motivations and aspirations across people with different disabilities. Their previous and current involvement in sport differed markedly as did their intentions in relation to future participation. It will be important that sporting bodies acknowledge the range of expectations and capacities that exist across the disability segment. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution for this segment of the population.
Physical limitations are a major impediment for those with a physical disability. For the people involved in the research, this related specifically to access and mobility capabilities. Access to grounds, facilities, training, transport and even areas where participants socialised created potential barriers. There were further indications that special or modified equipment required for this segment to be involved actively in sports creates yet a further hurdle to participation.
People with intellectual disabilities pointed to the structure of the activities as a significant hurdle. Creating activities (based on the sport framework) that accommodated people with intellectual disabilities (alternate forms of the game, other participatory variants) was seen to be of fundamental importance for this segment.
Social dimensions and opportunities presented through sport were cited as a key attraction. Sport is seen to provide opportunities to both participate with friends and meet and establish new friendships.
While customarily ‘come and try’ days have been sport specific, providing opportunities where people can experience or sample a variety of sports may work to attract people who are looking for a sporting opportunity but haven’t decided what they want to do or don’t know what options are available to them.
Barriers and Facilitators for Physical Activity Among Children and Youth With Autism—A Scoping Review, opens in a new tab, Ingrid Okkenhaug, Magnus Rom Jensen, Solvor Solhaug, Journal of Physical Activity and Health, Volume 21(10), pp.965-979, (2024). The purpose of this scoping review was to systematically synthesize barriers and facilitators for physical activity (PA) among children and youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) across the socioecological model. Fifty-four studies published from 2008 to 2024 were included. Among the included studies, 57% included the perspectives of children and youth with ASD alone or together with proxies (e.g, parents, teachers, and coaches), while 43% included only the perspectives of proxies. The analysis led to 2 main categories of barriers and facilitators, those unique to children and youth with ASD, and those similar to what had been identified through research on children and youth, both typically developing and with other disabilities. This comprehensive scoping review shows the complexity of factors contributing to barriers and facilitators for PA among children and youth with ASD, and highlights both the factors unique to this population and more general factors affecting PA participation.
Exploring Adaptive Cycling Interventions for Young People with Disability: An Online Survey of Providers in Australia, opens in a new tab, John Carey, Rachel Toovey, Alicia Spittle, et al., Journal of Clinical Medicine, Volume 12(17), 5523, (August 2023). Adapted cycles offer young people with disability a fun way to participate in over-ground cycling, but little is known about current practices to train and sustain cycling in this group. This study aimed to describe interventions used to introduce adaptive cycling to young people with disability and explore barriers and facilitators to adapted cycle use. A cross-sectional online survey was distributed among Australian allied health, education and recreation providers through targeted advertizing and snowball methods. Data were analysed using mixed methods and reporting was guided by the CHERRIES and CROSS checklists. There were 107 respondents with n = 90 (84.1%) who fully completed the survey. Respondents worked with riders who had cerebral palsy, neurodevelopmental disabilities and movement impairments. Adaptive cycling interventions were customized according to a rider’s goals, needs and resourcing. The training of cycling skills included “an eclectic mix” of experiential learning, individual goals, task-specific training and holistic practice models. Diverse factors impacted cycling participation, with opportunities reliant on access to a supportive environment, including a suitable adapted cycle. This study found that providers viewed adaptive cycling as a therapeutic or active leisure experience within protected traffic-free environments. Strategies to extend adaptive cycling opportunities into the community are required.
Barriers to Physical Activity for Women with Physical Disabilities: A Systematic Review, opens in a new tab, Jurgi Olasagasti-Ibargoien, Arkaitz Castañeda-Babarro, Patxi León-Guereño, et al., Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, Volume 8(2), 82, (June 2023). Physical activity is essential for women with physical disabilities. This review aims to identify the barriers they face in practicing sport. A systematic review was conducted using the PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science databases in January 2023, with an update in March 2023. This review identified different barriers, grouped into eight types according to the differentiating factor, thus showing that disable people’s participation in physical activity is directly related to some specific barriers which seem to differ according to their gender. Therefore, the success of participation in physical activities depends not only on the user’s concern, but also on an inclusive social environment.
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.
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.
Investigating Strategies Used to Foster Quality Participation in Recreational Sport Programs for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Perceived Importance, opens in a new tab, Emma Streatch, Natasha Bruno, Amy E. Latimer-Cheung, Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, Volume 40(1), pp.86-104, (2023). Quality experiences in sport programming for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can promote physical and psychosocial benefits and long-term quality participation (QP). Unfortunately, children with ASD often experience sport participation barriers and, consequently, participate less in sport compared with children without disabilities. This study investigated QP priorities and strategies that could foster QP for children with ASD. Caregivers (n = 13), volunteers (n = 26), and staff (n = 14) involved in sport programming for children with ASD rated experiential elements of QP using the Measure of Experiential Aspects of Participation. In addition , a two-round Delphi survey with staff (Round 1: n = 11; Round 2: n = 13) generated 22 strategies for promoting QP—each rated highly with regard to importance (5.69–6.85 on a 7-point scale). Strategies were substantiated with published research evidence. Findings informed the development of a QP tool designed to help instructors implement identified strategies in hopes of improving sport experiences for children with ASD.
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). 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 society. 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. This editorial aims to promote health equity through para sport by highlighting such health disparities for the Sports and Exercise Medicine (SEM) community.
Adaptive Sports in Spinal Cord Injury: a Systematic Review, opens in a new tab, Ramsey Rayes, Charlotte Ball, Kenneth Lee, et al., Current Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Reports, Volume 10, pp.145-153, (2022). Adaptive sports (AdS) have been shown to have positive health benefits as well as positive psychosocial benefits. Para-athletes often must overcome a variety of barriers to participation, such as transportation, accessibility, and socioeconomic factors. Facilitators to participation have also been identified, including pre-injury interest in sports, male sex, younger age, and more. In addition to well-known sports like handcycling and wheelchair basketball, adaptive sport continues to evolve, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, now including virtual options and E-sports. Para-athletes are also being more closely monitored and evaluated pre, peri, and post competition for injury and injury prevention, including in the realm of concussion management, requiring healthcare professionals, coaches, players, and all to gain further knowledge in adaptive sport and the participating para-athletes.
An evidence review of the current barriers and facilitators of disabled people’s engagement with gyms, fitness and leisure centres, opens in a new tab, UK active, (2022). A narrative review presents available evidence under the three Everyone Can agenda themes: ‘information and communication’; ‘facilities and the environment’; ‘customer service and the workforce’. The evidence suggests key improvements that can be implemented to support and provide encouragement for disabled people to participate in activity in safe, welcoming and inclusive gyms, fitness and leisure centres. Key findings include increasing knowledge and awareness of disability across the workforce and all users, ensure accessible facilities both inside and outside including the equipment and activity delivery, communicating in a consistent manner, and creating a positive experience, having disabled role models and changing perceptions. This review highlights the need for continued improvement to ensure disabled people can participate in physical activity in gyms, fitness and leisure centres.
Developing participation opportunities for young people with disabilities? Policy enactment and social inclusion in Australian junior sport, opens in a new tab, Ruth Jeanes, Ramón Spaaij, Jonathan Magee, et al., in The Potential of Community Sport for Social Inclusion: Exploring Cases Across the Globe, Hebe Schaillée, Reinhard Haudenhuyse, Lieve Bradt (eds.), Routledge, (2022). Interventions aimed at increasing the participation of young people with disabilities in recreational sport have had mixed success. The authors draw on in-depth interviews with representatives from State Sporting Associations, local government officers and volunteers within community sports clubs in Victoria, Australia, to examine why some sports clubs are unable or unwilling to translate policy ambitions into practice. The findings indicate how by framing disability provision as ‘too difficult’, ‘not core business’ and antithetical to competitive success, community sports clubs are able to resist policy ambitions to modify existing structures and develop more inclusive practice. Greater priority needs to be given to transformational inclusion objectives and challenging ableism if clubs are to structurally progress the development of participation opportunities for young people with disabilities.
Parent-Reported Motivators and Barriers to Participation in a Community-Based Intervention Designed for Children With Motor Skill Difficulties: A Qualitative Program Evaluation, opens in a new tab, Kyrah Brown, Jerrise Smith, Tamaya Bailey, et.al., Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, Volume 39(1), pp.109-128, (2022). Parents play a critical role in their child’s participation in community-based intervention programs. Yet, their perspectives remain largely overlooked in the literature. This qualitative program evaluation used social cognitive theory to understand parents’ motivators and barriers to participation in a community-based intervention program designed for children with motor skill difficulties. Parents (n = 15) of children with motor skill difficulties enrolled in a community-based intervention program participated in semistructured interviews. Thematic analysis revealed six motivators (child needs, satisfaction, perceived impact, affordability, design, and program culture) and three perceived barriers (parent knowledge, access, and accommodations). Parents’ motivators and barriers reflected a combination of personal and environmental factors consistent with social cognitive theory. This study revealed novel insight into program-related environmental motivators and barriers. Program leaders should consider ongoing evaluation and application of parental perspectives to optimize family participation and retention in community-based interventions.
Quality of Participation Experiences in Special Olympics Sports Programs, opens in a new tab, Kelly Arbour-Nicitopoulos, Natasha Bruno, Krystn Orr, et.al. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, Volume 39(1), pp.17-36, (2022). This cross-sectional study examined experiential elements facilitating quality sport experiences for youth (ages 12–24 years) in Special Olympics, and the associated influences of sport program and sociodemographic characteristics. A total of 451 athletes involved in the 2019 Special Olympics Youth Games completed a survey assessing elements of quality participation (autonomy, belongingness, challenge, engagement, mastery, and meaning). The t tests investigated whether athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities rated elements differently across Traditional and Unified Sport programs. Regression analyses explored whether sport program and sociodemographic characteristics were predictors of these elements. Youth reported high mean scores across the elements, with no significant differences between athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Traditional or Unified Sport. Athletes with no reported disability rated higher autonomy than those who reported disability (p = .01). Women tended to report greater engagement in sport than men (p = .07). Findings provide theoretical and practical insights into quality sport participation among youth in Special Olympics.
"How can we make it work for you?" Enabling sporting assemblages for disabled young people, opens in a new tab, Carroll P; Witten K; Duff C, Social Science and Medicine, Volume 288, 113213, (November 2021). Disabled young people have lower levels of participation in community life than nondisabled peers across a number of domains, including sporting activities, with profound implications for health, wellbeing and life course opportunities. Playing sport is a defining feature of identity for many young people in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Participation in sporting activities provides opportunities to develop competencies, to have fun and to compete, while also providing a sense of inclusion and peer group belonging. However, despite policies promoting inclusion of disabled young people in school and club sport, ableist attitudes and practices still function to exclude individuals who do not fit able-bodied norms. Drawing on recent ‘assemblage thinking’ in health and cultural geography, this paper explores the material, social and affective dimensions of ‘enabling’ and ‘disabling’ sporting assemblages, drawing on interviews with 35 disabled young people (12–25 years), parents and key informants. Many reported instances of demoralising exclusion in mainstream sporting activities. Some turned to adaptive sporting codes, designed for inclusion.
All aboard: users’ experiences of adapted paddling programs, opens in a new tab, Darien Merrick, Kyle Hillman, Alice Wilson, et.al., Disability and Rehabilitation, Volume 43(20), pp.2945-2951, (October 2021). The goal of this study was to explore the experiences of kayakers and paddle boarders in two adaptive paddling programs. Participants were children and adults requiring physical, cognitive, and/or psychosocial supports. Using an ethnographic approach, participant observations (n = 24) and semi-structured interviews (n = 11) were completed. Data were analyzed thematically. We identified three main themes. "Different Strokes" described the personal meaning participants ascribed to aspects of paddling, including valuing fun, exercise and relaxation. "Turning the Tide" illustrated the process of becoming a paddler, from doubting capacity to feeling competent. "Headwinds" explored paddlers' interactions with the broader social, institutional, and economic environments, such as inadequate funding and program aversion to risk. Programs offering a variety of adaptive paddle boarding and kayaking configurations enable paddlers to make valued choices about their participation. In addition to providing equipment and support to meet paddlers' functional abilities, program developers and clinicians should also consider individual preferences for exercise, socialization, risk taking, self-presentation of disability, and independence. People living with physical, cognitive, and/or psychosocial impairments perceive kayaking and paddle boarding as meaningful activities offering opportunities to exercise, have fun, achieve goals, socialize, and/or relax on the water. Kayakers and paddle boarders value equipment options that meet their physical and disability-disclosure preferences. Despite the existence of adaptive paddling programs, participation may be restricted by program availability, risk management policies, and leisure funding.
Adaptive sports for promoting physical activity in community-dwelling adults with stroke: A feasibility study, opens in a new tab, Pradeepa Nayak, Amreen Mahmood, Senthil Kumaran, et.al., Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, Volume 28, pp.341-347, (October 2021). Despite proven health benefits of regular participation in physical activities (PA), adults with stroke fail to achieve recommended levels of PA. Two focus groups were conducted among the eight experts and a person with stroke to develop adaptive sports. To test the feasibility of these adaptive sports, in a multi methods study eighteen community dwelling adults with stroke were recruited. Participants played adaptive sports twice a week for two months in a community center. Participants pre and post intervention PA levels and QoL were measured. Participants were also interviewed at the end of the program to explore their experiences of participation in adaptive sports. At the end of the program retention rate of the participants was 83.33% and there was a significant improvement in PA levels, while the improvement in QoL was not statistically significant. Participants expressed positive experience with the program. There were no adverse events during or after the participation. Health benefits, fitness, and fun were reported as facilitators, while lack of access to the sporting facility and lack of caregiver support were reported as barriers to participation.
Adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) and their perceptions of, and motivation for, physical activity and organised sports, opens in a new tab, Elisabeth Hansen, Helena Nordén, Marie Lund Ohlsson, Sport, Education and Society, (27 August 2021). Individuals with intellectual disability (ID) are less physically active than individuals without ID, and rarely reach the recommended daily level of physical activity (PA). Individuals with ID generally have a higher risk of hypertension and obesity-related cardiovascular diseases than individuals without ID. The aim of this study was to identify perceptions of, and motivation for, PA and sports among adolescents with ID. Twelve Swedish male and female adolescents with ID participated in the study, which comprised one semi-structured interview. The interviews identified three main categories: Activity, Surroundings and Body- and health awareness. Adolescents with ID seemed intrinsic motivated to participate in PA, organised sports and activities in general. Support from significant others, teachers, family and friends and support as well as the feeling of joy are connected to normative beliefs which all seem crucial. The participants were aware of their limitations, but sometimes feel bullied and afraid of being excluded, which relates to their normative beliefs. Participation in PA and organised sports may be positively associated with health, but limitations such as lack of awareness and support from society challenge the perception of ‘fitting in’.
Participation of people living with disabilities in physical activity: a global perspective, opens in a new tab, Prof Kathleen Martin Ginis, Hidde P van der Ploeg, Prof Charlie Foster, The Lancet, Volume 398(10298), pp.443-455, (July 2021). Overall, there is evidence that PLWD can derive some of the physical activity benefits observed in the general population. The relatively small number of adequately powered studies might explain some of the inconsistencies. The reviews also show that the epidemiology of physical activity in PLWD is an under-researched area, in need of more high-quality studies to better estimate the health risks and benefits of physical activity for different populations and to identify the amounts of physical activity that maximise health benefits. For adults, behaviour change techniques—particularly self-monitoring, problem solving, action planning, feedback on outcomes of behaviour, social support, reframing thoughts, identifying barriers, instruction on how to do the behaviour, and information about health consequences—were positively associated with behaviour changes. In a qualitative meta-synthesis, PLWD reported that effective interventions were flexible and adaptable to individual needs, autonomy-supportive, and done in inclusive, non-judgmental environments. Physical activity policies, recommendations, and resources must incorporate the values, needs, and preferences of PLWD, relevant rights holders, and stakeholders. Scientists and policy makers must abide by the philosophy of nothing about us without us to co-produce research, recommendations, policy, and other knowledge products.
Navigator Role for Promoting Adaptive Sports and Recreation Participation in Individuals With Disabilities, opens in a new tab, Iverson, Moriah; Ng, Alexander; Yan, Alice, American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Volume 100(6), pp.592-598, (June 2021). The aims of the study were to gain a better understanding of the resources, barriers, and facilitators of participation in adaptive sport and recreational activities as a means of achieving physical activity recommendations in individuals with disability and to understand preferences for a patient navigator service to help mitigate the barriers. One hundred ninety-eight adults and 146 parents completed the online surveys. Sixteen adults and 18 parents took part in focus groups. Many participants lacked knowledge of available adaptive sport and recreational resources; other barriers were expense, limited number of trained volunteers, and need for instruction. Conversely, persons were facilitated by community, socialization, and words of encouragement/motivation. Participants strongly preferred a patient navigator to be a person active in adaptive sport and recreational or an informative resource-filled website. Findings suggest that physical activity programs including adaptive sport and recreational should be designed to offer people with disabilities opportunities to build social networks and strengthen social support. A patient navigator service could help increase participation in adaptive sport and recreational and physical activity within a community context.
Comparisons of leisure-time physical activity participation by adults with and without a disability: results of an Australian cross-sectional national survey, opens in a new tab, Leanne Hassett, Nora Shields, Jenni Cole, et.al., BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine, Volume 7(1), (January 2021). The objective of this study was to describe and compare the amount and type of leisure-time physical activity, and motivations and barriers to participation among adults with and without a disability. Results Of the 54 343 adults surveyed between October 2015-June 2018, 15% reported a disability. Approximately a third of all adults with and without a disability who were currently participating in sport or physical recreation indicated they had intentions to try a new activity in the next 12 months. Key motivations reported for wanting to try a new activity (physical health or fitness, fun or enjoyment, other, social) were the same across groups. However, a greater percentage of adults with a disability were motivated by physical health or fitness (55% vs 46%), and a greater percentage of adults without a disability were motivated by social reasons (18% vs 13%) (table 4). There were differences in reported barriers to participation between adults with and without a disability who had not participated in any sport or physical recreation in the previous 12 months (table 4). The most common reported barrier by inactive adults with a disability was poor health or injury (62%), whereas for inactive adults without a disability it was lack of time/too many other commitments (43%).
A review of adaptive sport opportunities for power wheelchair users, opens in a new tab, Jonathan Duvall, Shantanu Satpute, Rosemarie Cooper, et.al., Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, Volume 16(4), pp.407-413, (2021). A structured literature review of the peer-reviewed scientific literature and analysis of major adaptive sport competitions information. Pubmed and Scopus were searched for the phrases “Power wheelchair sports” and “complex disability sport” to identify articles discussing competitive sport opportunities for power wheelchair users. Also, the websites and instructional materials were searched to identify what sports exist for power wheelchair users in the Paralympics, the National Veteran Wheelchair Games, the Invictus Games and the Warrior Games. This literature review identified few programs for sports for people who use power wheelchairs. Many challenges such as lack of appropriate technology, lack of programs, and challenging classification categories all interact to contribute to this problem. Opportunities exist for better and more appropriate technology to be developed and for new and innovative sports and rules to be adopted for these athletes to benefit more from sport and recreation.
‘I’ll always find a perfectly justified reason for not doing it’: challenges for disability sport and physical activity in the United Kingdom, opens in a new tab, Ben Ives, Ben Clayton, Ian Brittain, et.al., Sport in Society, Volume 24(4), pp.588-606, (2021). This study aimed to provide insight into the experiences of and attitudes to sport and physical activity for disabled people. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews with eight facilitators and focus groups with 24 members across three disability support organisations. Using ableism as the primary sensitising concept, our iterative analysis revealed that although all facilitators and disabled people were aware of the physical and mental wellbeing benefits of sport and physical activity, only 2 of the 24 disabled participants met the UK Government guidelines for physical activity. Findings showed that participation was hampered by a number of external and internal barriers, including the cost of transport and activities, ineffective modes of communication and advertisement, preconceived images of sport as competitive and judgemental, and anxieties about sporting abilities. Importantly, this study highlighted that many of these barriers were a pretext for a lack of enjoyment, and makes suggestions for future practice.
Individual and contextual predictors of retention in Special Olympics for youth with intellectual disability: who stays involved?, opens in a new tab Weiss JA; Robinson S; Harlow M; et.al., Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, Volume 64(7), pp.512-523, (July 2020). Study participants were parents/caregivers of athletes with ID involved in community Special Olympics (SO), 11–22 years of age (N = 345). Participants completed an online survey in 2012 that included caregiver demographic and athlete intrapersonal, interpersonal and broader contextual variables. Retention rates for 2019 were determined using the SO provincial registration lists. Of the 345 survey participants, 81.7% remained active athletes in 2019. Caregiver demographic and athlete intrapersonal factors were largely unrelated to retention. In contrast, retention was associated with the frequency and number of sports athletes participated in, the perceived psychosocial gains of SO involvement and the environmental supports that were available to facilitate participation; frequency of sport participation was the strongest predictor of remaining a registered athlete. This study has implications for future initiatives aimed at increasing sport retention in a population that struggles to be engaged in sport. Efforts should focus on the athlete experience and sport-specific factors. Coaches and caregivers can foster positive experiences and play an important role in continued sport participation.
Physical activity participation among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, opens in a new tab, Patrick Jachyra, Rebecca Renwick, Barbara Gibson, et al., Autism, Volume 25(3), (September 2020). Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder are less likely to be physically active compared to their age-related peers. Despite the lower levels of physical activity observed among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, it is unknown why they are predominantly inactive. Much of the research so far has focused on understanding how biological aspects influence physical activity participation. But there is little research that has examined how social and cultural components influence their physical activity participation. There is also little research that has sought the perspectives and experiences of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. In this study, 10 adolescent boys with autism spectrum disorder created a digital story, and also participated in two face-to-face interviews. The purpose of the study was to examine how individual, social, and cultural forces influenced physical activity participation. Analysis of the data highlight that bullying, challenges in community programs, and the prioritization of therapeutic interventions limited participation. On the contrary, participants were more likely to be active when physical activity generated meaning, purpose, a sense of identity, and affective pleasures. The findings add new knowledge suggesting that adolescents with autism spectrum disorder are not simply unmotivated. Rather, physical activity participation was shaped by wider social experiences, norms, values, and practices in which they were immersed. The findings suggest a need for directed efforts to create policies and practices which are individualized and reflective of the needs and abilities of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder to promote physical activity participation and potentially enhance physical health and wellbeing.
Sport participation after the HandbikeBattle: benefits, barriers, facilitators from the event—a follow-up survey, opens in a new tab, Sonja de Groot, Ingrid Kouwijzer, Linda Valent, et.al., Spinal Cord Series and Cases, Volume 6, Article number: 54, (June 2020). Handcyclists who took part in one or more HandbikeBattle events in 2013–2017 were invited to complete a survey in December 2018. Questions were asked on benefits of participating in this event, current sport participation, and experienced barriers and facilitators regarding current sport participation. Respondents (N = 96 (N = 59 with spinal cord injury (SCI) or Spina Bifida (SB)), response rate = 47%) reported benefits from this event regarding their fitness level (90%), personal development (81%), daily life activities (66%), and health (64%). Median current sport participation was 5 h/week (IQR: 3–8). Most frequently indicated personal barriers for sports participation were: lack of time (31%), disability (17%), and pain (15%). Most frequently mentioned environmental barriers were: transportation time to sport accommodation (19%), and lack of peers to do sports with (16%). Most important facilitators were motivation to improve health and/or fitness (92%), fun and/or relaxation (85%). The results for the subgroup with SCI were comparable with the results of the total group.
Development and Validation of a Tool for Assessing Barriers to Participation in Team Sports for Women with Physical-Mobility Disabilities, opens in a new tab, Forough Bakhtiary, Mahvash Noorbakhsh, Parivash Noorbakhsh, et.al., Annals of Applied Sport Science, Volume 9(s1), (2020). One of the most important tasks of physical education managers is to remove the barriers to participation in physical activities. Disabled people face more barriers to sports participation than nondisabled people, and women with physical-mobility disabilities experience numerous barriers. Identifying these barriers requires a comprehensive, valid and reliable questionnaire that is capable of assessing barriers so that we can provide solution to remove these barriers by using this tool and the results of this research in the next steps. The results of the present study resulted in the identification of 10 factors, including individual, structural, psychological, managerial, media support, the role of coach, economic, psychological factors related to pitiful and disrespectful attitudes, supportive public social and cultural-religious factors. The personal conditions of the disabled people affect their sport participation. Physical problems, lack of family support for the disabled family member, lack of understanding of the usefulness of sports activities, lack of knowledge of how to participate in sports, inability to leave home due to inappropriate place of residence, and lack of a companion and teammate are considered as individual barriers for disabled women.
Managing sport volunteers with a disability: Human resource management implications, opens in a new tab, Pam Kappelides, Jennifer Spoor, Sport Management Review, Volume 22(5), pp.694-707, (November 2019). The authors examine the benefits and barriers to including volunteers with a disability in three Australian sport and recreation organisations, as well as the potential human resource management implications. The authors draw on interviews with sport volunteers with disability, staff from sport organisations, and recipients of services from volunteers with disability conducted in 2016–2017. Researchers have not previously examined these diverse perspectives, but they are important for understanding how to include and support sport volunteers with disability. Analysis of the interviews revealed a wide range of benefits of including volunteers with disability including social acceptance, social inclusion and personal development; but both volunteers and organisations identified numerous barriers to volunteering, including negative attitudes, personal factors, organisational factors and lack of social inclusion. Based on the results of this study, the authors develop recommendations for human resource management practices and policies to support volunteers with a disability in sport and recreation organisations, which are organised around an ability-motivation-opportunity framework. The results suggest that organisations need to create an environment that facilitates open, two-way communication with volunteers with a disability about their needs and wants. There also should be training and education to all volunteers and staff around an inclusive workplace culture.
Baseball 4 All: Providing Inclusive Spaces for Persons with Disabilities, opens in a new tab, George Cunningham, Stacy Warner, Journal of Global Sport Management, Volume 4(4), pp.313-330, (2019). The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influenced participation in a community program designed to enhance leisure participation among children and young adults with disabilities. The authors grounded their work in a sport development framework and recent work on inclusive and socially just leisure. Participants in the qualitative study included seven coaches from a baseball league designed to deliver sport opportunities for persons with both physical and intellectual disabilities. Results showed that Inclusiveness and Joy were fundamental at the recruitment stage. Organization Failure, which was the dominant theme throughout the data set, emerged at what should have been the retention stage. The authors discuss implications for providing inclusive leisure spaces for persons with disabilities.
Mastery and Belonging or Inspiration Porn and Bullying: Special Populations in Youth Sport, opens in a new tab, Jeffrey Martin, Kinesiology Review, Volume 8(3), pp.195-203, (2019). This paper examines the factors that make up a high-quality youth-sport experience for special-population children. It is important to note that special-population youth are often very similar to nondisabled children (e.g., seeking enjoyment in sport), but they experience different contexts and socialization experiences such as fewer opportunities and more barriers to sport participation. The author first examines positive factors in the youth-sport experience and discusses mastery experiences and the generation of positive affect. He also discusses how sport can promote feelings of belongingness, freedom, and independence. In the second part of the paper he discusses how the youth-sport experience can contribute to a negative experience by examining bullying and teasing, as well as “inspiration porn.” Inspiration porn is a relatively new concept in the disability literature that has not been discussed in a sport context. The author proposes a five-component model that links anecdotal reports of inspiration porn to theory, thus providing a basis for future research on inspiration porn. Throughout the paper he examines research in each area, theories used, important findings, salient take-home points, and future research directions and imbues the paper in a disability social-relational model that asserts that individual, social, environmental, and cultural factors all play a role as proximal and distal influences in the sport experiences of special-population youth.
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.
“The Legacy Element . . . It Just Felt More Woolly”: Exploring the Reasons for the Decline in People With Disabilities’ Sport Participation in England 5 Years After the London 2012 Paralympic Games, opens in a new tab, Christopher Brown, Athanasios (Sakis) Pappous, Journal of Sport and Social Issues, Volume 42(5), pp.343-368, (October 2018). This article explores why sports participation of people with disabilities in England has declined since the London 2012 Paralympic Games (LPG). Thirty semistructured interviews were conducted with staff employed in a variety of sports and disability-specific organizations. Our preliminary findings suggest that the decline is a result of a complex interplay between multiple factors. A competency gap and a lack of relevance between Paralympians and the rest of the community of people with disabilities might have limited the impact of the legacy. In addition, an absence of coordinated leveraging of the LPG, and a decline in the media coverage of disability sport in the aftermath of the LPG, might also have dulled the legacy. Finally, our data show that austerity and negative media coverage of people with disabilities deterred some people from participating in sport.
Physical activity levels of adults with various physical disabilities, opens in a new tab, Ellen de Hollander, Karin Proper, Preventive Medicine Reports, Volume 10, pp.370-376, (June 2018). This study examined the physical activity (PA) levels of people with specific disabilities, using health care registration data. Data of 321,656 adults (83%) from the Dutch Public Health Monitor 2012 were used to assess adherence to the World Health Organization (WHO) PA guidelines (%) and the time (min/week) spent on moderate-to-vigorous-intensity and vigorous-intensity PA. Although there are organisations that provide adaptive sports specifically for people with physical disabilities, this population may still experience barriers to exercise, or there may be a lack of such facilities in their neighbourhood. Previous studies have shown that for instance shame, pain, inadequate transportation, inaccessible accommodations, inappropriate sports offer without suitable guidance may pose barriers. Regardless of self-reported activity limitations, adults with objectively measured disabilities, especially those with physical disabilities, had lower PA levels compared to adults without physical and sensory disabilities.
“I’ve Had Bad Experiences With Team Sport”: Sport Participation, Peer Need-Thwarting, and Need-Supporting Behaviors Among Youth Identifying With Physical Disability, opens in a new tab, Krystn Orr, Katherine Tamminen, Shane Sweet, Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, Volume 35(1), pp.36-56, (January 2018). This study was guided by self-determination theory to explore the sport experiences of youth with a physical disability and the role of peers within this context. Interviews were conducted with eight youths using a relational mapping technique and analyzed using a deductive thematic approach. Sport peers were broadly defined by the youth as individuals from a large age range and of all abilities. Youth perceived their sport peers to have dynamic roles throughout their participation in sport. The perceived roles of these sport peers included supporting and thwarting basic psychological needs, and influencing the youths’ processing of sport internalization. Findings focus on the complexity of peer need-thwarting and need-supporting interactions in sport for youth with physical disabilities. Overall, peers have a multifaceted role in the sport experiences of youth identifying with a physical disability and may, in some cases, thwart youths’ basic psychological needs.
Factors impacting participation in sports for children with limb absence: a qualitative study, opens in a new tab, Batoul Sayed Ahmed, Marena Lamy, Debra Cameron, et.al., Disability and Rehabilitation, Volume 40(12), pp.1393-1400, (2018). This study uses a descriptive qualitative study design. Nineteen participants, consisting of children and their parents, were recruited from an outpatient hospital clinic for semi-structured interviews. The 11 interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Analysis of our participant interviews identified six themes as having an influence on sport participation: “functionality of prosthesis”, “plan in advance”, “know what I can do” (understanding capabilities), “it’s like every stroke, 2 million questions” (stigma and the social environment), “love for the game” (love for sport), and “these things are an investment” (the investment involved). The findings have the potential to inform the development and implementation of strategies to increase levels of participation in sports among children with limb absence. Information from this study may help to deepen the rehabilitation team’s understanding of factors that impact engagement in sports among children with limb absence.
Understanding low levels of physical activity in people with intellectual disabilities: A systematic review to identify barriers and facilitators, opens in a new tab, L.W.M.Bossink, Annette AJ van der Putten, Carla Vlaskamp, Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volume 68, pp.95-110, (September 2017). People with intellectual disabilities (ID) undertake extremely low levels of physical activity. A systematic search was performed using the following databases from the year 1990: MEDLINE, ERIC, and PsycINFO. The studies included were peer reviewed, available as full text, and written in English, addressing barriers to and facilitators of physical activity in people with ID. The quality of the studies was assessed using existing critical review forms. All studies were subjected to qualitative synthesis to identify and compare barriers and facilitators. In all, 24 studies were retrieved, describing 14 personal and 23 environmental barriers and/or facilitators. The quality of the studies varied, particularly for qualitative studies. Only two studies included people with severe or profound ID. Stakeholder groups tend to identify barriers outside their own responsibility.
Sport and Physical Activity Participation Among People With Disabilities Reported at a Sports Exhibition and Six Months Later: A Cohort Study, opens in a new tab, Louise Michelle Nettleton, Leanne Hassett, Franziska Scheibe, et.al., Therapeutic Recreation Journal, Volume 51(3), (August 2017). A cohort study of sport and physical activity participation levels of adults attending a disability sport exhibition and six months later, and barriers to sport participation. Outcome measures included current sport participation, the Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with a Physical Disability (PASIPD) in MET hours/ day and the modified Barriers to Physical Activity and Disability Survey (B_PADS). Out of a total of 39 participants, at the time of the exhibition, 25 (64%) participants played sport, but were physically inactive overall. At the six-month follow-up (n= 32), 21 (66%) participants played sport and physical activity levels were low. The most common barrier reported at the exhibition was cost (54%), and at follow-up was a lack of appropriate sporting competitions (50%). Whilst more than half of participants were engaged in sport, frequency and overall physical activity levels were low and participants indicated a desire for greater sport involvement. Increasing opportunities and addressing barriers to sport participation for people with disability is warranted.
Functional and Environmental Factors Are Associated With Sustained Participation in Adaptive Sports, opens in a new tab, Blauwet CA; Yang HY; Cruz SA; et.al., PM&R: the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation, Volume 9(7), pp.668-675, (July 2017). To determine the demographic, environmental, disability-related, and functional factors associated with sustained participation in a community-based adaptive sports program. Participants were described as “sustainers” if they attended ≥2 sessions, or as “nonsustainers” if they attended 0 or 1 session. We examined the associations between sustained participation and demographic, environmental, disability-related, and functional factors in bivariate and multivariable analyses. Of the 134 participants, 78 (58%) were sustainers and 56 (42%) were nonsustainers. Sustained participation in community-based adaptive sports is associated with living closer to the program site and the presence of a moderate level of functional impairment. These findings suggest that programs might consider increasing the number of satellite sites and expanding offerings for individuals with mild or more significant mobility-related disabilities to effectively increase program participation.
‘They don’t see my disability anymore’ – The outcomes of sport for development programmes in the lives of people in the Pacific, opens in a new tab, Alexandra Devine, Aleisha Carrol, Sainimili Naivalu, et al., Journal of Sport for Development, Volume 5(8), (March 2017). In many settings, people with disabilities are marginalised from the socio-economic activities of their communities and are often excluded from development activities, including sport for development programmes. Sport is recognised as having unique attributes, which can contribute to the development process and play a role in promoting the health of individuals and populations. Yet there is little evidence, which demonstrates whether and how sport for development can be disability-inclusive. The aim of this qualitative research was to address this knowledge gap by documenting the enablers and barriers to disability inclusion within sport for development programmes in the Pacific, and to determine the perceived impact of these programmes on the lives of people with disability.
Elements contributing to meaningful participation for children and youth with disabilities: a scoping review, opens in a new tab, Claire Willis, Sonya Girdler, Melanie Thompson, et.al., Disability and Rehabilitation, Volume 39(17), pp.1771-1784, (2017). The search identified 9544 articles, of which 20 were included for review. Ten elements contributing to meaningful participation experiences were identified and organised as follows: person-based elements (n = 5; having fun, experiencing success, belonging, experiencing freedom, developing an identity); environment-focused elements (n = 4; authentic friendships, the opportunity to participate, role models, family support) and activity-related elements (n = 1; learning). Elements contributing to meaningful leisure participation are interrelated. This review reveals the substantial contribution that meaningful interactions and relationships have in creating and facilitating positive and engaging experiences. Outcomes of this review may assist professionals in the design of targeted interventions to facilitate leisure participation.
Enabling inclusive sport participation: Effects of disability and support needs on constraints to sport participation, opens in a new tab, Darcy S, Lock D and Taylor T, Leisure Sciences, Volume 39(1), 1-21, (2017). Despite enabling legislation, studies in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States have found that persons with disability participate in sport at lower rates than the general population. This paper presents the results of a national study examining the constraints to sport participation for people with disability. Liaising with over 100 disability organisations from across Australia; a total of 1046 surveys were completed – 53% from persons with disability and 47% from family/friends. Respondents engaged in 125 different sport and active recreation activities; with 50% of participation from organised sports, 32% from unorganised and 18% from partially organised activities. The findings showed that disability type and level of support needs explain significant variations in constraints to participation. The level of support needs was the most significant indicator of the likelihood of participation or non-participation.
Sport and Physical Activity Participation Among People With Disabilities Reported at a Sports Exhibition and Six Months Later: A Cohort Study, opens in a new tab, Louise Michelle Nettleton, Leanne Hassett, Franziska Scheibe, et al., Therapeutic Recreation Journal, Volume LI(3), pp.206-220, (2017). A cohort study of sport and physical activity participation levels of adults attending a disability sport exhibition and six months later, and barriers to sport participation. Outcome measures included current sport participation, the Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with a Physical Disability (PASIPD) in MET hours/ day and the modified Barriers to Physical Activity and Disability Survey (B_PADS). Out of a total of 39 participants, at the time of the exhibition, 25 (64%) participants played sport, but were physically inactive overall. At the six-month follow-up (n = 32), 21 (66%) participants played sport and physical activity levels were low. The most common barrier reported at the exhibition was cost (54%), and at follow-up was a lack of appropriate sporting competitions (50%). Whilst more than half of participants were engaged in sport, frequency and overall physical activity levels were low and participants indicated a desire for greater sport involvement. Increasing opportunities and addressing barriers to sport participation for people with disability is warranted.
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.
A systematic review of review articles addressing factors related to physical activity participation among children and adults with physical disabilities, opens in a new tab, Kathleen Martin Ginis, Jasmin Ma, Amy Latimer-Cheung, et.al., Health Psychology Review, Volume 10(4), pp.478-494, (June 2016). In this systematic review, over 200 factors were extracted from 22 review articles addressing barriers and facilitators to LTPA in children and adults with physical disabilities. Factors were grouped according to common themes, classified into five levels of a social ecological model, and coded according to whether they could be affected by the health-care and/or recreation sectors. Findings are discussed with regard to key factors to target in LTPA-enhancing interventions, relevant theories and models in which to frame interventions, the levels at which the interventions can be implemented, and intervention priorities. The synthesis provides a blueprint and a catalyst for researchers and practitioners to shift focus from conducting studies that merely describe LTPA barriers and facilitators, to developing and delivering strategies to increase LTPA among persons with physical disabilities.
Perceived barriers and facilitators to participation in physical activity for children with disability: a qualitative study, opens in a new tab, Nora Shields, Anneliese Synnot, BMC Pediatrics, (January 2016). Children with disability engage in less physical activity compared to their typically developing peers. The aim of this research was to explore the barriers and facilitators to participation in physical activity for this group. Four themes were identified: (1) similarities and differences, (2) people make the difference, (3) one size does not fit all, and (4) communication and connections. Children with disability were thought to face additional barriers to participation compared to children with typical development including a lack of instructor skills and unwillingness to be inclusive, negative societal attitudes towards disability, and a lack of local opportunities.
Sports participation after rehabilitation: Barriers and facilitators, opens in a new tab, Eva Jaarsma, Rienk Dekker, Jan Geertzen, et.al., Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, Volume 48(1), pp.72-79, (2016). Participants were 1,223 adults (mean age 51.6 years, standard deviation 15.1 years) treated in the Rehabilitation Centre of the University Medical Center Groningen, who completed a questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of a self-constructed questionnaire regarding barriers and facilitators. Fifty-eight percent of the participants were active in sports after their rehabilitation. Younger age and a higher level of education were positively associated with sports participation, whereas using assistive devices and experiencing environmental barriers were negatively associated. Facilitators of sports participation were health, fun and increasing physical strength, and advice from rehabilitation professionals. Rehabilitation professionals should emphasize the health benefits of, and enjoyment from, sports participation for people with physical disabilities. They should repeatedly remind people with physical disabilities to stay/become active after completing their rehabilitation programme. Rehabilitation professionals should also provide information about strategies to reduce environmental barriers to sports participation, which could help people using assistive devices to overcome these barriers.
Impact of Organized Sports on Activity, Participation, and Quality of Life in People With Neurologic Disabilities, opens in a new tab, Sahlin KB; Lexell J, PM&R: the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation, Volume 7(10), pp.1081-1088, (October 2015). In this narrative review, current evidence regarding the impact of organized sports on activity, participation, and quality of life in people with neurologic disabilities of all ages is summarized, and facilitators of and barriers to participation in sports for this population are discussed. The subjects of almost all of the studies were persons with a spinal cord injury. Children and adolescents with a disability who engaged in sports reported self-concept scores close to those of able-bodied athletes, as well as higher levels of physical activity. Adults with a spinal cord injury who engaged in organized sports reported decreased depression and anxiety, increased life satisfaction, and increased opportunity for gainful employment compared with nonathletic persons with disabilities. General facilitators, regardless of age, were fitness, fun, health, competence, and social aspects, whereas overall barriers were lack of or inappropriate medical advice and facilities, decreased self-esteem, poor finances, dependency on others, and views held by others.
Sports participation of individuals with major upper limb deficiency, opens in a new tab, Mihai Bragaru, Rienk Dekker, Pieter Dijkstra, et.al., British Journal of Sports Medicine, Volume 49(5), pp.330-334, (February 2015). The aim of this study was to analyse sports participation of individuals with upper limb deficiency (ULD) and associated factors. Individuals with ULD originating from the Netherlands were invited, via their attending physiatrist or prosthetist, to answer a digital or paper questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 34 items related to personal characteristics, type of deficiency and participation in sports. Of the 175 respondents, 57% participated in sports for at least 60 min/week (athletes). Results of logistic regression analyses indicated that the presence of an additional health problem hindering sports participation (β=-1.31, p<0.001) and a more proximal onset of the limb deficiency (β=0.76, p=0.022) had a negative influence on sports participation. For individuals with an acquired ULD, a medium education level (β=0 0.77, p=0.108) and participation in sports before their amputation (β=1.11, p=0.007) had a positive influence on sports participation. The desire to stay healthy and the pleasure derived from sports participation represented the main reasons for participation in sports according to athletes. The presence of an additional medical problem and a lack of motivation were reasons for non-athletes to not participate in sports. The majority of individuals with ULD participate in sports regularly. The presence of an additional medical problem, as well as the level of ULD, educational level and participation in sports before amputation, was related to participation in sports.
Physical Activity and School-Age Individuals With Visual Impairments: A Literature Review, opens in a new tab, Justin Haegele, David Porretta, Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, Volume 32(1), pp.68-82, (2015). The purpose of this article was to review published research literature on physical activity for school-age individuals with visual impairments by describing study characteristics and major findings. Eighteen articles met all inclusion criteria, and relevant data such as participants, visual-impairment levels, theory, measurement, and dependent variables were extracted from them. Major findings suggest that low physical activity levels of school-age individuals with visual impairments may be related to perceived participation barriers including the availability of appropriate opportunities rather than visual acuity or educational setting.
Barriers and facilitators of sports in children with physical disabilities: a mixed-method study, opens in a new tab, Eva Jaarsma, Pieter Dijkstra, Alida de Blécourt, et.al., Disability and Rehabilitation, Volume 37(18), pp.1617-1625, (2015). This study explored barriers and facilitators of sports participation of children with physical disabilities from the perspective of the children, their parents and their health professionals. Thirty children and 38 parents completed a questionnaire, and 17 professionals were interviewed in a semi-structured way. Data from the three groups were combined in a mixed-method design, after which the results were triangulated. Mean age (SD) of the children was 14.1 (2.9) years old, 58% were boys. Sixty-seven percent of the children had cerebral palsy and 77% participated in sports after school. Most commonly practiced sports were swimming, cycling and football. Children specifically experienced dependency on others as a barrier, parents did not have enough information about sports facilities, and professionals observed that the family’s attitude had influence on the child’s sports participation. Facilitators were health benefits, fun and social contacts. Sports participation of children with physical disabilities is a complex phenomenon because children, their parents and professionals reported different barriers. Sports participation is more physically challenging for children with severe physical disabilities, as their daily activities already require much energy. However, the psychosocial benefits of sports are applicable to all children with physical disabilities.
Barriers to and facilitators of sports participation for people with physical disabilities: A systematic review, opens in a new tab, Jaarsma E, Dijkstra P, Geertzen J and Dekker R, Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sport, Volume 24(6), pp.871-881, (2014). Too few people with physical disabilities regularly participate in sports. Therefore, understanding what presents a barrier to participation, as well as what factors facilitate participation, should be helpful to program planners. This study provides an overview of the literature focusing on barriers to, and facilitators of, sports participation for people with various physical disabilities. The most common barrier was health status (personal factor); and lack of facilities, transportation, accessibility of facilities (environmental factors). Facilitating factors were fun, improved health and social contacts. Experiencing barriers to, and facilitators of, sports participation was dependent on age and type of disability. Regular sports participation was greatest when the selection of the sport was appropriate.
Examining the participation patterns of an ageing population with disabilities in Australia, opens in a new tab, Sotiriadoua P and Wickera P, Sport Management Review, Volume 17(1), pp.25-48, (2014). The purpose of this study is to fill this gap in the literature and examine the participation patterns of people with disabilities. This study advances the following three research questions: (1) what are the participation patterns of people with disabilities? (2) what factors constrain participation in physical activity by people with disabilities? and (3) what groups can participants and non-participants with disabilities be classified into?. The results indicate that 57.2% of the persons with disabilities participated in some form of physical activity at least once per week and 39.1% three times or more per week. The top five activities were walking, followed by swimming gymnasium workouts, cycling, aerobics exercises. The variables ‘restriction’ and ‘work hours’ had a negative impact on frequency of participation, while education had a positive impact. Once people made the decision to participate in physical activity, they participate quite frequently. The top five activities that were identified in the survey are all health and fitness related. With regard to constraints, it became evident that ‘intrapersonal’ and ‘structural’ constraints were the dominant ones. The identified constraints of the ageing population in Australia need to be considered in ways that would allow pathways (i.e., sport development outputs) for people with disabilities, both participants and non-participants, to progress from one level of sport development to another. Finally, the implications for programs and policy considerations must be cost effective, suitable to people's constraints, and sustainable over long periods of time. These pathways may vary from sport to sport (e.g., individual vs. team sports, high to low physically demanding sports, etc.).
Facilitators and Barriers to Physical Activity as Perceived by Older Adults With Intellectual Disability, opens in a new tab, Marieke van Schijndel-Speet; Heleen M. Evenhuis; Ruud van Wijck; et.al., Intellectual and Development Disabilities, Volume 52(3), pp.175-186, (2014). Older people with intellectual disability (ID) are characterized by low physical activity (PA) levels. PA is important for reducing health risks and maintaining adequate fitness levels for performing activities of daily living. The aim of this study was to explore preferences of older adults with ID for specific physical activities, and to gain insight into facilitators and barriers to engaging into PA. Fourteen in-depth interviews and four focus groups were undertaken, with a total of 40 older adults with mild and moderate ID included in the analysis. In total, 30 codes for facilitators and barriers were identified. Themes concerning facilitators to PA were enjoyment, support from others, social contact and friendship, reward, familiarity, and routine of activities. Themes concerning barriers to PA were health and physiological factors, lack of self-confidence, lack of skills, lack of support, transportation problems, costs, and lack of appropriate PA options and materials. The results of the present study suggest that older adults with ID may benefit from specific PA programs, adapted to their individual needs and limitations. Results can be used for developing feasible health promotion programs for older adults with ID.
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.
Perceived exercise benefits and barriers among power wheelchair soccer players, opens in a new tab, J P Barfield, Laurie A Malone, Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, Volume 50(2), pp.231-238, (April 2013). Lack of exercise is a major risk factor for secondary conditions among persons dependent upon motorized wheelchairs. Power wheelchair soccer is a unique exercise opportunity for this population, and understanding factors that influence exercise decision-making is necessary for clinicians to help those in motorized chairs reduce their secondary risk. Therefore, this study examined differences in perceived benefits and barriers to exercise among power wheelchair soccer players using a mixed-methods analysis. The most common perceived benefit to exercise was "Exercising lets me have contact with friends and persons I enjoy." Post hoc comparisons of quantitative data indicated that persons with muscular dystrophy perceived exercise to be significantly less important than did other disability groups (p < 0.05). "Exercise is hard work for me," "Exercise tires me," and "There are too few places for me to exercise" were the most common perceived barriers. These findings can assist with development of exercise opportunities for power wheelchair users.
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 Ché 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, Dr Ché Fornusek, Leanne Hassett, Kerry West.
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