Only one in four disabled children can always join in school sports

A new research report, ‘Play, Move, Belong: Active Futures for Young Disabled People’, reveals that young disabled people continue to face significant inequalities in sport and physical activity. It found that only 26% of young disabled people say they can take part in sport and activity at school all the time, compared to 38% of non-disabled young people. This is despite schools being the most common place for them to be active.

During a typical school week four in ten (43%) young disabled people are classified as ‘less active’, compared to three in ten (32%) of their non-disabled peers. Only 3% meet the Chief Medical Officers’ recommended 60 minutes of daily activity.

Released on World Children’s Day, the report highlights a strong desire from disabled children and young people to be more active, when the right opportunities and support are in place.

Latest national data shows that 12% of children in the UK are considered disabled under the Equality Act 2010, up from 7% a decade ago. Yet despite progress in policy and awareness, disabled children and young people remain less likely to be active than their non-disabled friends.

An infographic summarising the key findings is available to download.

They include:

• Despite challenges, eight in ten young disabled people say they like or love being active (85%), driven by a desire to stay healthy, have fun, and build confidence.
• Young disabled and non-disabled people are equally as likely to say they want to be more active (43%), and parents share this ambition. More than half (55%) of parents of disabled children wish their child could take part in more activity.

The study is supported by a consortium of partners. These include Activity Alliance, Sport England, Youth Sport Trust, Access Sport, ParalympicsGB and Loughborough University. It explores the lived experiences of young disabled and non-disabled people, along with their parents and caregivers.

You can read the full report on the Activity Alliance research page.