THE CHALLENGES EXPERIENCED BY ATHLETES LIVING WITH DISABILITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA

¹University of the Witwatersrand, Physiotherapy, Johannesburg, South Africa

Background: Despite the transformative promise of “Leave No One Behind” stated in the United Nations’ 2030 agenda, full inclusion of people living with disabilities remains a challenge in many countries including South Africa. Athletes living with disabilities are still left behind in low- and medium-socioeconomic countries. They still face various challenges that hinder their participation in sports.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine barriers to sports participation and the needs of athletes living with disabilities in South Africa.

Methods: A qualitative study design based on semi-structured interviews was used. Interviews were conducted with 23 athletes. Permission was obtained from the relevant disability association. Ethical clearance was issued by the University of the Witwatersrand. An interview schedule with predetermined questions was used to collect the data. Meetings were held online via Zoom for about 20min per meeting. All participants gave consent to participate and for the meetings to be recorded. The data were transcribed verbatim and analysed in themes deductively.

Results: All 23 athletes participated in the study. The study comprised 12 females and 11 males. They were mostly African (n=13) with a mean age of 26 years. All participants had over 5 years of sporting experience. Key challenges experienced by participants included: discrimination, stigma, lack of opportunities, poor access to key services, limited access to resources, lack of access to facilities and lack of knowledge. An urgent need was identified to scale up disability inclusion, especially regarding the rendering of healthcare services and making resources available.

Conclusions: This study showed a need to think beyond disability, a need for robust discussion, a need to challenge barriers and social attitudes and a need to develop & implement a suitable model of care. Everyone has a role to play in changing the status quo.

Implications: These findings informed a current study that is looking at developing a suitable model of care in response to the challenges experienced by athletes living with disabilities. The researchers are currently embarking on such a study.

Funding acknowledgements: None

Keywords:
Athletes living with disabilities
Barriers
Needs

Topics:
Sport & sports injuries

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes

Institution: University of the Witwatersrand

Committee: Human Research Ethics Committee (Medical)

Ethics number: M220120