sportscotland is totally supportive of inclusion in sport where people with disabilities are able to participate in mainstream sporting activities at an appropriate level with appropriate support. There are many examples of disabled athletes who participate fully in the competition, training and social programmes of mainstream sports clubs.
However, research shows that people with disabilities are much less likely to take part in sport and physical recreation than people without a disability. For example, sportscotland’s participation figures from 2006 show that 39% of adults who reported having an long term limiting illness took part in sport compared with 69% of those who did not. Many barriers to participation still exist, and it is a very unfortunate fact that many people with disabilities are still excluded from society and sport. It is also possible that athletes with disabilities can be integrated into mainstream sport but not fully included in all the operations of the club.
sportscotland is fully committed to taking positive steps to overcome the barriers that face people with disabilities in sport. To do this, sportscotland invests in disability sport across a range of its activities, and works in close partnership with Scottish Disability Sport, the governing body for disability sport in Scotland. More information about sportscotland’s work in disability inclusion is available in this section of the website.
For further information on disability inclusion or sportscotland’s work in disability sport, please contact our Development Manager: Disability Sport on 0131 317 7200, or visit the Scottish Disability Sport website at the link on this page.