'There aren't any buses and the swimming pool is always cold!': obstacles and opportunities in the provision of sport for disabled people

Abstract

Sport for disabled people has advanced both in terms of policy formation and opportunities. However, many barriers still face disabled people when participating in sport and recreational activities. This exploratory study sets out to contrast policy with practice and to identify ways of overcoming such obstacles. Key organizations and providers of leisure facilities in the field of disability sport were interviewed as well as disabled people using local sports facilities. This is the first substantial study in the West Midlands region of England. Most organizations had disability policy statements although understanding of disability was often limited, with serious implications for policy implementation. Barriers to sports participation were identified, including physical access, changing facilities, attitudes of staff and other users, programming, and staff availability, with transport continuing to present major difficulties. The need for a fully developed understanding of the factors influencing the participation of disabled people in sport and physical recreation is emphasized and potential ways of overcoming barriers are considered. It is suggested that policy will only be effective in the field of disability sport if early and appropriate consultation has taken place with providers and users.