Inclusion through sport: Promoting equality for all

Using sports as a tool for social change, programme goals centered on disability rights, gender equality issues and policies, promoting inclusion, and empowering females with disabilities.

Gender and Disability
Approximately one billion people live with a disability. This population is the largest minority group in the world. Women with disabilities are doubly discriminated against and experience inequalities, higher risk of violence and abuse, and 93% do not participate in sports or physical activity. Girls and children with disabilities are often the most excluded from sports and physical activity.

We found that individuals with disabilities and females in general were less likely to participate in physical activity and sport along with their counterparts. Typically, the boys had more access to equipment, were more involved in physical activity and had a better outlook for future endeavors than the girls.

Equality
Settings were segregated for students with disabilities and students without disabilities. Some schools were segregated by gender. During our presentations and sports clinics, we sought to provide equality and inclusion for girls and boys with disabilities. We observed that the boys were more active and had access to sports equipment whereas the girls were isolated and less involved. Furthermore, the girls often did not have access to the same types of equipment or often played by themselves. Many of these youth, especially females with disabilities, had very little opportunity or encouragement to participate in physical activity. During one of our clinics, some of the girls who were blind were dribbling a basketball for the first time in their lives. Other girls who were encouraged to participate showed an increase in self-confidence and self-esteem once they started to play.

Call for action