Being involved has given me a purpose
Volunteering in sport helped Anna to connect to her old self.
A series of case studies have been published alongside a report that explores the workforce gap in the sport and physical activity sector for disabled people. Each one shows the various barriers and enablers encountered. Whilst names have been changed, they show the real-life experiences people have had in the sport and physical activity workforce.
When Anna became disabled, she could no longer work, and her friends drifted away. She was a children and young people’s support worker at a local authority but had to give up the job. All of this affected her sense of self and identity.
As part of her rehabilitation, Anna took part in a project at a leisure centre and was able to access support from an Occupational Therapist to make adaptations enabling her to engage in sport. Anna didn’t do much sport before her injury, but she enjoyed taking part in netball sessions. With encouragement from the Occupational Therapist, Anna began supporting the coach in sessions and building up her own coaching skills.
“Before I did sport, I was not wholly me [following my injury]. Being involved in it has given me a purpose, something to look forward to, and a whole new circle of friends.”
Despite not having previously been a sporty person, she was inspired to get into coaching. She drew on her previous experience working with young people to start coaching disabled children from a local secondary school.
Anna now has a range of qualifications including coaching, officiating and umpiring in netball, and the Boccia Leaders Gold Award. She currently volunteers for 2 days a week, coaching boccia (with disabled participants) and netball (with disabled and non-disabled participants).
She encountered negative perceptions of others towards her capability as a coach. Another barrier she faced as a wheelchair user was inaccessible venues and equipment . Anna also talked about a financial disincentive to work because of pensions and benefits rules.
Support and encouragement from the Occupational Therapist, as part of an inclusion sport project, made a huge difference to Anna. The flexibility of a voluntary role, with less pressure when compared to a paid role, also allowed her to continue her workforce journey.
Read Anna’s full case study: Anna - volunteering after acquiring disability
The ‘Research into the workforce gap - Disabled people in the sport and physical activity workforce’ is available to read on the Activity Alliance website.
