Levelling the playing field: disability and inclusion in sport

Matej Christiaens and Ian Brittain

Chapter 20 in Sport Management in Europe, 2025, pp 315-330 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Despite being the largest minority, disabled individuals remain significantly underrepresented in sport. Many face physical barriers, such as inaccessible facilities, alongside invisible barriers, such as ableist biases and assumptions within society. This chapter provides an overview of these barriers, presenting key theories and models of disability, as well as concepts such as ableism, disablism and internalized ableism. These concepts provide tools for critically examining systemic and cultural barriers to inclusion in sports. The chapter builds on these insights to explore why policies and reality do not match up. By examining sport organizations’ current strategies for operationalizing inclusion, pointing out where they work and where they fall short, the chapter also highlights the gap between well-intentioned policies and their implementation. It argues for a more nuanced approach to inclusion, emphasizing the need for choice, autonomy and a shift from convenience-based solutions to meaningful change.

Keywords: Disability; Inclusion; Strategy; Policy implementation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035333134
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