Understanding the barriers to participation in sport (April 2012)
A report based on qualitative research to better understand what prevents disabled people from taking part in sport and physical activity.
This report is in reaction to worrying figures identified by numerous surveys, including the DCMS Taking Part survey and Sport England’s Active People Survey, that the majority of disabled people state their health or disability prevents them from participating.
The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS), the national sports body for disabled people in sport, believed this needed further investigation into disabled people’s perceptions of sport, rather than make assumptions about why they believe their health and disability are the main participation barriers.
As a result, EFDS has spent the last three months conducting qualitative market research to gain a greater understanding of the barriers to taking part among disabled people and the extent to which these are similar or different across people with different impairments.
The main barriers can be grouped into categories of psychological, logistical and physical barriers, with psychological barriers being most influential.
Download the report at the top of this page.
