Advancing disability inclusion in Canada: Introducing the first National Coaching for Para Sport Summit
In May 2023, the National Coaching for Para Sport Summit (NCPS) took place at the Steadward Centre. A collaborative effort between uOttawa, the University of Alberta, the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC), and the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), the summit acknowledged the importance of disability inclusion in coach education and, more importantly, delved into the…
Strategies to Enhance Disability Programming
Through interviews with providers of community-based exercise programs for individuals with disabilities, researchers have developed a comprehensive list of 85 strategies to enhance programs. A user-friendly chart offers actionable methods to improve exercise experiences for people with disabilities, serving as a valuable resource for program providers striving to create more inclusive and effective fitness opportunities.
The history of Para sport in Canada
Canada has long been a leader in sport and recreation for persons with disability, and it is astounding to consider the contributions made in the last century. This is found in every aspect of disability sport including those for persons with intellectual impairment, mobility disabilities, and deafness. But for the purposes of this article, the…
Recommendations and resources for disability sport event managers
There are many things that need to be considered when planning a sport event. The Canadian Disability Participation Project has created a module called Training and Managing Disability Sport Event Volunteers: Recommendations and Resources to help any sporting body or sport event manager in training and managing a volunteer workforce. It includes 12 best practice…
Quality participation in Parasport: A narrative perspective
Project summary The benefits of participation in parasport are widely recognized. In order to achieve these benefits, we need to understand how athletes think about quality experiences in parasport, and how to foster these quality experiences in a parasport context. As such, this study had two main objectives: (1) to explore what quality participation means…
RED-S in Para sport
Relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) can impact athletes’ sports performance and increase their risk of illness and injury. While RED-S can impact all athletes, it has been suggested that Para athletes may be at an increased risk. To better understand, detect and treat RED-S in Para athletes, there is a need to include more…
Canadian Para Nordic skiers on multi-sport and athlete transfer
Robbi Weldon, Christina Picton and Cindy Ouellet have a collective 10 Paralympic appearances between them. All 3 women are multi-sport athletes from childhood and all 3 have represented Canada in Para nordic skiing. On the surface, their experiences with the Canadian Para sport system may seem similar. But what their stories show is that there…
Challenges and opportunities of dual sport participation
Not many athletes can claim both summer and winter Paralympian status. Liam Hickey is one of those rare athletes. He represented Canada at the 2016 Paralympics in wheelchair basketball and the 2018 and 2022 Paralympics in Para ice hockey. Ultimately, financial pressure and time constraints compelled him to focus solely on Para ice hockey. The…
“Athlete transfer” opens opportunities for development in Para sport
A Para athlete who chooses to pursue a new sport or get involved in a second sport, or whose circumstances force them to leave their sport, is engaging in a process called “athlete transfer.” The Paralympic Athlete Transfer Task Force has undertaken research to understand athlete transfer experience and inform future policies and pathways.
Concussion in Para sport
Concussions are common in Para sports such as blind soccer, where collisions between players frequently occur. Research shows that despite the high concussion risk posed in blind soccer, many athletes do not feel confident in their ability to recognize a concussion. Improving concussion education, particularly around concussion symptoms, may help improve concussion recognition in this…