Barriers to participation
Specific disability groups
Elite sports in the Paralympics
Benefits of participation
Strategies to promote participation
100

Lack of these, such as wheelchair-accessible gyms or ramps, is a common physical barrier.

Accessible facilities

100

Individuals with this type of impairment may participate in sports like goalball or tandem cycling.

Visual impairment 
100

This Paralympic sport is a modified version of basketball.  

Wheelchair basketball

100

Regular physical activity improves this, helping with everyday tasks and mobility

Physical fitness

100

Using this type of sports equipment, like sit-skis or racing chairs, helps make activities more accessible.

Adaptive or modified equipment

200

Negative attitudes and assumptions about abilities create this type of barrier

Social barrier

200

People with this condition, which affects muscle coordination, often benefit from activities like swimming or boccia.

Physical impairment (Cerebral Palsy)

200

Athletes throw metal balls as close as possible to a target in this precision Paralympic sport.

Boccia

200

Participating in sports can boost this, making individuals feel more confident in themselves.

Self esteem

200

Coaches can create inclusive environments by receiving this type of specialised training.

Disability awareness (or inclusive coaching) training

300

High costs of adaptive equipment like sports wheelchairs are considered this kind of barrier.

Economic or financial barrier

300

Athletes with amputations may use these devices to help them run or cycle.

Prosthetics

300

In this sport, athletes with visual impairments compete while wearing blindfolds, and use sound-emitting balls to navigate the court and score goals.

Goalball

300

Team sports help develop these, such as leadership, communication, and teamwork.

Social skills

300

This strategy involves changing rules, equipment, or environments to meet individual needs.

Modifications or adaptations

400

Inadequate or poorly designed infrastructure, such as lack of ramps or narrow doorways, can prevent individuals with mobility challenges from accessing facilities.

Physical barrier

400

This type of disability can create a barrier in environments where communication relies heavily on verbal instructions or announcements.  

Auditory (or hearing) disability

400

This Paralympic swimming event involves athletes with physical disabilities competing in various strokes, including freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly, often using specialized equipment like fins or prosthetics.

Para swimming

400

Physical activity helps reduce symptoms of this mental health condition, often linked to isolation.

Depression and anxiety

400

Hosting these types of events, like inclusive sports days, encourages participation from people with diverse abilities.


Community events

500

This barrier occurs when coaches or staff lack training on how to include athletes with disabilities.

Lack of knowledge or awareness

500

This group of individuals, characterized by impairments in cognitive functioning, often faces barriers in accessing mainstream sports programs but benefits greatly from inclusive sporting opportunities.

Intellectual disabilities

500

What happened to Alexa Leary? 

What sport does she now compete in?

Triathlon accident - Brain injury

Swimming at the Paralympics (She is a gold medalist)

500

Engaging in sports can improve this type of health, which includes heart and lung efficiency.

Cardiovascular health

500

Partnerships between schools, sports clubs, and disability organisations promote participation through this kind of collaboration.

Community partnerships 

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