Wheelchair Curling

Since Wheelchair Curling was included in the Paralympics as a full-medal sport, Canada is the only country to have won medals at four consecutive Paralympic events. Check out the action at the 2019 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championships, which kicks off today in Boucherville QC.

Tips for Inclusive Programs for Persons with Disabilities

December 3, 2018 is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This year’s theme is “Empowering People with Disabilities and Ensuring Inclusiveness and Equality”. Here in Canada, we have reason to celebrate. The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, is shepherding Bill C-81, the Accessible Canada Act, through its parliamentary process….

Leveraging parasport events for sustainable community participation

View the summary of this research here. The aim of this project was to examine how the hosting of different forms of sport events for persons with disabilities were being leveraged to create opportunities for community participation, and influence community attitudes towards disability. Research on events demonstrates that it is necessary to intentionally and strategically…

Inclusion in the Field(s) of Dreams?

The purpose of this project was to explore issues surrounding segregated sport for people with impairments and to address the question of whether or not segregated sport perpetuates inequity (Fay & Wolff, 2009). The specific objectives included: (1) Identifying the drawback and benefits of participation in segregated athlete training programs taking place in different settings;…

Policy and program considerations for increasing sport participation among members of underrepresented groups in Canada

Sport should be available and responsive to the needs of all Canadians who want to participate. However, members of a number of groups do not participate at the same rates as their mainstream counterparts. Some women and girls, Indigenous peoples, persons with a disability, recent immigrants, new Canadians, socio-economically disadvantaged Canadians, older adults, members of…

Examining Difference: LTAD and Athletes with a Disability

Canada’s Long Term Athlete Development Model offers an important conceptual framework to chart athlete development along the continuum of sport participation from playground to podium. Yet among athletes with a disability, each of whom enters and engages within the sport system in a unique way, it can be difficult to delineate a common pathway. Individuals…

Addressing Barriers to Physical Activity

Being physically active is such an important part of everyday life. Research has shown that being physically active goes a long way in helping prevent many different diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and depression. Despite this research, statistics show that children and adults are not as physically active as they should be. Why…

The Paradox of Integration: Building a Panacea or Exacerbating a Partition?

Canada prides itself for celebrating difference. In recent years, NSO’s too have embraced diversity by welcoming athletes with disabilities through a policy of integration intended to level the playing field and elicit podium success. Although this progressive approach aims to streamline sport delivery and technical services for high performing para athletes, the flip side is…

Coaching Tips – making sport inclusive for all

For most people, the first youthful experiences within sport have a dramatic effect on the long-term idea of what they are capable of and if positive, can pave the way for future success. Unfortunately it’s common for children with disabilities to be left to the sidelines in mainstream sport partly because coaches may not be…

Women’s World Wheelchair Basketball Championships

The Women’s World Wheelchair Basketball Championships which runs from June 20-28, are underway at the Mattamy Center in Toronto. This tournament will host 12 of the best women’s wheelchair basketball teams on the planet, all of whom hope to lay claim to the title of the world’s best team. Canada comes into this tournament having…