Key Terms
Refers to a person’s mobility, strength, sensory functions, or overall capacity to engage in daily activities.
Physical Ability
Stereotyped as slower, less adaptable, or less valuable, even if their performance remains high
"Too old"
Athletes with physical disabilities may be excluded from participation when programs, facilities, or equipment are not designed with accessibility in mind. This issue highlights a lack of this essential DEI principle.
Equal Access/Accessibility
Increase the availability of adaptive sports programs in schools, universities, and community leagues
Expand Inclusive Programs
Tennis player who showed teenage maturity and challenged "mental immaturity" stereotypes
Coco Gauff
How media, coaches, peers, and the athlete themselves talk about their age - which influences identity and expectations
Perceived Age
Advantage or disadvantage that athletes experience based on their birth date in relation to the cut-off date used for grouping players in sports or school activities
Relative Age Effect
A facility without ramps or elevators creates this type of barrier
Physical Access Barrier
This global competition showcases athletes with physical and intellectual disabilities, held right after the Olympics
Paralympics
Longevity, leadership, and redefining performance curves in the NBA
Lebron James
This term describes discrimination based on someone’s age, such as believing older players can’t perform
Ageism
Believing women’s or adaptive leagues are “less competitive” is an example of this bias
Stereotype
Excluding older or disabled players from certain drills or team events can reduce this sense of belonging
Inclusion
Ensuring athletes with disabilities have the same chances to try out, compete, and receive scholarships and sponsorships
Promoting Equal Opportunity
Marathoner who refused to let cerebral palsy stop him from running
Justin Gallegos
How the body is aging
Biological Age/Physiological Aging
Often perceived as inexperienced, mentally immature, or less capable of handling pressure
"Too Young"
Ensuring sports venues, gyms, locker rooms, and adaptive equipment designed with universal access in mind
Universal Design
Highlight and celebrate disabled athletes in media, school announcements, and sports marketing to normalize and promote inclusion.
Increase Representation and Awareness
This adaptive surfer from Hawaii, who lost her arm in a shark attack, became an inspiration for inclusion in sports
Bethany Hamilton
Discrimination based on ability - can marginalize individuals with disabilities
Ableism
Help athletes redefine self-concept beyond performance
Identity Reconstruction
Specialized equipment like sport wheelchairs and prosthetics are expensive, creating this type of inequality
Financial Barrier
Encourage teammates to understand and support each other’s differences through team-building activities and open dialogue.
Foster Inclusive Team Culture
"immortality" reached through achievements and longevity
Lionel Messi