Cookies help our website to remember you and your preferences. For more information or to update your cookie settings, please go to our privacy policy.

Accept Decline
Skip to content.

The national charity and leading voice for disabled people in sport and activity

Menu. Open and close this menu with the ENTER key.

Access Sport launch new research project on disabled teenage girls

Sport Inclusion charity Access Sport are looking for disabled teenage girls and young women to take part in a new research project aimed at supporting them to be more active. The charity is asking teenage girls aged between 11-19 who are disabled, have a long-term health condition or are neurodivergent to complete an important survey as part of their wider research programme.

Teenage girls taking part in a sprint race during a PE session.

A recent study carried out by Women in Sport (2019) shows that girls are disengaging from activity in their teens. This inactivity is contributing to worrying mental health issues, including being less happy, more anxious and increasingly dissatisfied with their appearance.

Additionally, the gap in activity levels between disabled and non-disabled children increase as they get older. Between the ages of 14 and 16 years 48% of disabled children are "less active" compared to 28% of non-disabled children (My Active Future report, Activity Alliance 2020). Through Access Sport’s Changing Places and Changing Sports work the charity has observed that disabled teenage girls and young women struggle to find sport and exercise that works for them.  

Access Sport have teamed up with Women in Sport, Nuffield Health and the Sweaty Betty Foundation to deliver this new project. The project aims are to:

  • Amplify the unique voice of disabled teenage girls and young women, that would otherwise be overlooked.
  • Identify the barriers that prevent disabled teenage girls and young women from taking part in sport.
  • Improve our understanding of disabled teenage girls and young women so we can better tackle the causes of exclusion.
  • Provide guidance to community sport clubs on disabled female inclusion. 

Click here to take part in Access Sport’s survey on the Survey Monkey website.

The survey is anonymous and is open until 31 October 2023. If you would like to access the survey in a different format please contact Kelly.Smith@AccessSport.org.uk.

Access Sport are also asking disabled teenage girls to participate in a group discussion about their experiences of sport and physical activity. These ‘Listening Lab’ sessions will take place in November 2023.

Sign up here to be considered for their ‘Listening Lab’ sessions.

Visit the Access Sport website to find out more about their work.