Reverse integration in wheelchair basketball

Practitioners interested in offering inclusive sport environments could consider reverse integration, a new approach that integrates mainstream participants into Para sport. When implemented in a wheelchair basketball league, researchers found health and social benefits for all participants including a deeper understanding and awareness of (dis)ability and roles within the team.

Global Assessment on Physical Activity

The Global status report on physical activity is WHO’s first global assessment of implementation of policy recommendations to reduce physical inactivity by 15% in 2030. The report shows global progress has been slow. To reach this goal, WHO provides 5 suggestions, one of which includes providing more opportunities for those such as older adults and…

Inclusive websites

A sport organization’s website is often the first place people with disabilities go to learn about different program offerings. Unfortunately, few organizations clearly indicate what programs they offer for people with disabilities. Making program information easier to find and ensuring that websites are easy to navigate and accessible to all individuals are just some strategies…

Canada’s first ever disability report card

The Canadian Disability Participation Project has created Canada’s first ever disability report card that summarizes physical activity data for youth with disabilities. Key findings included the need to prioritize youth with disabilities in policy and funding, improve monitoring, remove ableism for existing benchmarks, and address measurement gaps.

Cerebral Palsy: Exercise Recommendations

Exercise and physical activity have the power to change the lives of individuals with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Recent studies show that 75% of people living with CP spend nearly all their waking hours engaged in sedentary activities. Individuals with CP experience many benefits from individualized exercise programs, including increased endurance, motor function, and stability, as…

Adolescents with Autism

Physical activity improves physical health in youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) while also developing social and communication skills. Research shows that adolescents with ASD are 60% less likely to participate in physical activity and 74% less likely to participate in organized sport compared to age-related peers. Creating policies and practices specific to the needs…

Celebrating difference

The #WeThe15 campaign aims to use sport to help break down barriers and end discrimination against the 15% of the world’s population that experiences disability. But some researchers argue that the campaign overlooks the exclusionary nature of certain events, such as the Paralympic Games (in which only certain bodies with disabilities are eligible to compete)….

Invictus Games impact

The Invictus Games is an international adaptive sport competition for service members and Veterans with physical and mental illnesses and injuries. Uniquely, it integrates family programming and support into program delivery. In the SIRC blog, Invictus Games researchers share tips that sport programmers can use to support military families, from recognizing and appreciating family to…

Special Olympics and community inclusion

People with intellectual disabilities often feel excluded from their communities. Sport participation is one way to promote social inclusion. A transnational study suggests that Special Olympics athletes who feel more included in sport are also more likely to feel included within their local communities.

What makes a playground inclusive?

Play is a right of all children, but not all children have the same opportunities to experience play. An inclusive playground means having wide entry spaces free of obstacles, ramp access, shaded space, trained staff, and different types of sensory, solitary, and creative play components. A new Inclusive Playgrounds resource presents evidence-informed recommendations designed to…