Inclusion in sport: disability and participation

Abstract

For the last couple of decades UNESCO has aimed to achieve to a far extent the implementation of the guiding principle of inclusion at all levels in education systems worldwide. The idea that countries 'should ensure an inclusive education system at all levels' is also a central objective of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This Introduction to the Special Issue explores what participation as an aspect of inclusion means in general, and realistically can mean in sport and quality physical education in particular. Sport is introduced as a context in which, unlike in education, the individual choice of a sporting activity on a spectrum ranging from separate activities for persons with disabilities to modified activities designed for all makes it necessary to attribute each approach equal importance and validity instead of discrediting segregated structures and glorifying supposedly inclusive ones. Inclusion is primarily discussed in education, as is apparent from just a quick search of the term on the Internet. However, with the increasing number of UN member states ratifying the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) (UN 2006), 1 politicians and academics have vividly discussed inclusion in the context of other areas of life, such as the community at large (Milner and Kelly 2009), as 'social inclusion' in the context of work and employment (Hall and Wilton 2011), and with regard to the aspects addressed by Article 30.5 of the CRPD, namely cultural life and leisure (

Sport for All and Social Inclusion of Individuals with Impairments: A Case Study from Brazil

“…Differently from those contexts, nonparticipation in sport is not equivalent to social exclusion, which would be the case if people wanted to participate but could not. Inclusion in sport should consider guaranteeing access, improving participation, and offering a continuum of opportunities for people with impairments [58]. This argument is in line with the UN Convention that stated that the states should encourage a twin-track approach to sport participation, in both mainstream sport with necessary adaptations and in parasport.…”

“…The analysis of the recent inclusion debates in sport helps the argument that inclusion in sport is distinct from inclusion in other contexts, for example, in education and workplace [58]. Differently from those contexts, nonparticipation in sport is not equivalent to social exclusion, which would be the case if people wanted to participate but could not.…”

“…Some scholars suggested understanding inclusion in sport as ranging across "access, participation and achievement" that makes it more process-oriented and empowering for persons with impairments [58,59] (p. 11). Considering the concept of social inclusion laid out above [56], without the recognition of everyone as equally valued individuals, the process of social inclusion will hardly advance.…”

“…Consequently, a more comprehensive understanding of inclusion in sport would situate diverse sport participation activities along the "inclusion spectrum" which provides the following five distinct modalities of practice [58] (pp. 14-15):…”

Locomotor Adaptations During RaceRunning in People With Neurological Motor Disorders

“…An estimated 6% of people in the UK have some form of neurological motor disorder (MacDonald, Cockerell, Sander, & Shorvon, 2000), which affects participation in healthrelated activities and poses a challenge for society to promote health and wellbeing of all its members (Coates & Vickerman, 2010;Kiuppis, 2018) Indeed, it is reported that 70-75% of disabled people do not participate in any sport or physical activity (Sport England, 2013) and this increases the risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases (Ryan, Crowley, Hensey, Broderick, McGahey, & Gormley, 2014), muscle weakness (Wiley & Damiano, 1998) and reduced bone density (Cohen, Lahat, Bistritzer, Livne, Heyman, & Rachmiel, 2009). Few sports currently exist for those with a severe neurological disability, and these are often limited to low levels of aerobic demand and weight bearing demands (Van der Linden, Jahed, Tennant, & Verheul, 2018).…”