Disability inclusion in beach precincts: beach for all abilities – a community development approach through a social relational model of disability lens

ABSTRACT

In this paper we examine a community development approach to including people with disability in a sport context within beach precincts for a project called Beach for All Abilities. The aim of this research is to investigate innovative and transformative solutions that enable inclusion. The research design used multiple methods and data sources across 30 projects and three geographically diverse precincts. The theoretical framework brought together community development and the social relational model of disability to inform the research. The findings show how the funded organisation working in partnership with not-for-profit, commercial and government programs, facilitated processes and practices enabling greater access and inclusion for people with disability in the beach precincts. These included solutions to constraints in the built, outdoor and natural environments across mobility, vision, hearing, intellectual and mental health disability from low to very high support needs. Yet, the overall program had a major shortcoming in establishing ongoing beach-related activities for people with disability. The paper concludes with implications for longevity, limitations, and future research.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Disability inclusion in beach environments is absent from the sport management literature.

• A hybrid community development model through the lens of a social relational model of disability is used to analyse the projects.

• 30 community development projects provide insights to the social inclusion of the lived embodied experiences of people with impairments.

• Innovative inclusive transformative solutions were implemented to counter the interpersonal, structural and environmental constraints present.

• Projects are identified with potentially sustainable and scalable outcomes for the inclusion of people with disability in beach environments.

KEYWORDS:

• Social inclusion
• community development
• disability
• beach precinct
• partnerships
• sport

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Social impact and social inclusion of community programs for people with disability Cat3.1.1.1 Australian industry for non-profit organisation - Surf Life Saving NSW (2015000561).