Breaking Barriers: Empowering children through inclusive sports

Shahbaaz, a 9-year-old with a learning disability, once struggled with even the simplest of physical activity. Despite his initial hesitations and fear of failure, consistent encouragement and tailored interventions helped him achieve what seemed impossible: confidently jumping over multiple hurdles in one go. 

Hussain, a spirited teen who loves dancing, avoided physical activity, fearing loss of balance. Despite his strong build, jumping with both feet felt impossible. To help, bunny hops and frog jumps were introduced —turning training into fun. His hesitation faded as he transformed hops into dance moves. His determination, fuelled by encouragement, turned a hesitant jumper into a confident achiever.

Shahbaaz and Hussain’s journeys are just two examples of how structured physical education can unlock potential in children with intellectual disabilities—a need that became even more evident through the Sports for Transformation Fellowship by Dani Sports Foundation

The Fellowship provided the platform to work with 30 children with intellectual disabilities at V.S. Gandhi Centres in Kapadwanj, Gujarat, revealing the gaps in access to structured physical education. 

As part of the Fellowship, the project "Empower Through Play – Sports for Every Child" was developed to address this gap. The initiative envisioned a creative and inclusive program that could streamline physical education and sports integration for children with intellectual disabilities

The project

With this vision in mind, the project was built on a foundation of research, personal commitment, and strategic planning to develop key objectives that would drive meaningful change. These included developing innovative assessment tools to evaluate the physical, cognitive, and emotional skills of children with intellectual disabilities, as well as implementing baseline and follow-up assessments to track the impact of interventions over time. The project also sought to design and implement a comprehensive curriculum aimed at building foundational motor skills. To ensure long-term sustainability and scalability, it aimed to train educators at the centers and co-fellows to serve as change agents. Additionally, it aimed to advocate for policy reforms that integrate physical education for children with intellectual disabilities into the broader educational framework and promote collaboration with organizations to refine, share, and expand effective approaches to support these children.

The implementation phase was marked by personal growth and invaluable insights into working with children with intellectual disabilities. By leveraging methodologies from organizations such as Special Olympics, Physical Health & Education, Canada (PHE), and National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (NIEPID), a comprehensive assessment tool was developed. This tool measured the levels of physical skills (balancing, walking, running, jumping, object manipulation), cognitive skills (comprehension of instructions), and emotional skills (confidence). A seven-week plan engaged 15 children through progressive activities, with two students participating in advanced sports. A total of 30 focussed 60-90 min physical activity sessions were conducted for students. 50 activities were designed out of which 28 were tested on the field. Endline assessment was done after completion of the 7-week program. 14 students were part of it with 1 student being absent. 1 online meeting and 1 exposure visit was conducted with the Jai Vaikil Foundation. The purpose was to understand how assessment-based activities can be done in areas other than physical education.  

The project delivered interesting results. A new assessment tool targeting physical, cognitive, and emotional skills was developed and successfully piloted. The seven-week skill enhancement programme demonstrated remarkable improvements, as children showed enhanced motor coordination, emotional engagement, and cognitive skills. Baseline and endline assessments confirmed a tangible progression in skill sets, with 50% of participants exhibiting a significant increase in physical abilities. Furthermore, children with mild intellectual disabilities showed greater progress compared to those with moderate, emphasizing the importance of individualized interventions. Success stories such as Shahbaaz’s illustrated the profound personal transformations nurtured by the programme. The training of  2 co-fellows ensured that the programme had a ripple effect, empowering local stakeholders to sustain and scale the initiative. The engagement with Jai Vakil Foundation provided valuable insights into integrating assessment-based activities into broader educational frameworks. 

The next steps

The project illuminated several critical insights and challenges. 

Short-term interventions, while impactful, underscore the necessity of longer durations and mid-line assessments to maximize benefits. Individualized learning plans have emerged as vital tools, addressing the varied learning speeds of children based on their levels of intellectual disabilities. The initiative also revealed the indispensable role of nutrition and family involvement in ensuring holistic development. Without proper nutrition, physical activities alone may yield suboptimal outcomes. Additionally, engaging parents as partners not only bolsters participation but also creates a supportive ecosystem for the children’s growth. Disability-inclusive tools and refined emotional skill assessments are areas requiring further enhancement. The emotional assessment framework, which categorizes confidence into broad categories, necessitates more granular metrics to accurately capture subtle changes. Teacher training programs are a cornerstone of this, with interactive workshops and real-world case studies empowering educators to implement and sustain inclusive methodologies confidently.

This work demonstrates that inclusive sports programs offer children with intellectual disabilities meaningful opportunities to grow, connect, and develop. By refining tools, extending program durations, and advocating for policy reforms, this initiative paves the way for a future where every child can play, learn, and thrive. The next steps can be expanding to more centers, finalizing the activity handbook, and continuing the advocacy journey. With sustained efforts, this vision of empowerment can become a reality for countless children with intellectual disabilities across the globe.

About the author

Vijay Kataria is a Sports for Transformation Fellow with the Dani Sports Foundation and is currently interning with the Sports and Society Accelerator. He designed and executed this project as part of his time within the Fellowship.