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As a parent of a child with a disability, you might not think the world of sport is open to them 鈥 but it is! Your child can be involved in sport, and there are many different ways you can go about it, from clubs and teams to trying activities out at home.

Super Movers for Every Body is an exciting new initiative from 大象传媒 Teach, the Premier League and ParalympicsGB, encouraging children of all abilities to take part in PE and sports. They could try a Paralympic sport like blind football or shot put, or an activity like adaptive swimming or cycling.

To find out more about the advantages of inclusive sport, 大象传媒 Bitesize Parents鈥 Toolkit has been speaking to Professor Anthony J Maher, Professor of Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion at Leeds Beckett University, and Rafael Young, a boccia athlete and coach at Stockport Boccia Club.

How can taking part in sport help my child?

Two children holding foam javelins

Taking part in sports can improve a child鈥檚 confidence, their physical and mental wellbeing, and help them pick up some transferable skills.

Professor Maher says: 鈥淧articipation in sport can support children to develop physically, socially, emotionally and cognitively.鈥 Sport can improve a child鈥檚 motor skills 鈥 the ability to make movements with their muscles 鈥 and cardiovascular (heart and blood vessels) fitness, reduce their risk of becoming overweight or obese, and increase bone and muscle strength. Engaging in sport can also improve childrens鈥 鈥渕ental health and wellbeing, social skills, problem-solving skills and concentration.鈥

These benefits can be particularly beneficial to disabled children who, on average, have poorer outcomes when it comes to physical fitness and weight management when compared to non-disabled children of the same age.

Two children holding foam javelins
Every sport has鈥 opportunities to succeed, and opportunities to learn to struggle.鈥 鈥 England boccia athlete Rafael Young
Rafael Young playing boccia using a head placer
Image caption,
Rafael Young playing boccia using a head placer

Rafael Young discovered sport aged 27, after seeing the Paralympic boccia team at London 2012, but wishes he could have started earlier: 鈥淓very sport has community and competitiveness, opportunities to succeed, and opportunities to learn to struggle. That kind of resilience opportunity is such an important part of developing into adulthood, but some groups of young people, for lots of different reasons, don't always get a good chance to develop those skills. Sport in general is very precious for that.鈥

Alongside supporting disabled children to develop teamwork, decision making and responsibility, Professor Maher says team sports 鈥渃an also help to break down barriers between disabled and non-disabled children and foster feelings of shared identity, community and belonging鈥.

What kind of sports could my disabled child take part in?

Disability shouldn鈥檛 be a barrier to taking part in sport, some people with disabilities may need adjustments or adaptations to take part but there is a whole world of sporting opportunity out there.

鈥淲heelchair basketball, blind cricket, goalball, boccia and sitting volleyball are just a few examples.鈥 鈥 Professor Maher
Two children playing blind football

Professor Maher says: 鈥淭here are a growing number of sports that have been developed for disabled people. Many of these sports are tailored to the needs and abilities of disabled children. Wheelchair basketball, blind cricket, goalball, and sitting volleyball are just a few examples. The best thing about these sports is that disabled and non-disabled children can play, even compete, with and against each other.鈥

Some other examples of inclusive sports include those in the Super Movers for Every Body collection:

  • Para athletics: they鈥檝e been part of the Paralympic Games since 1960, and include track and field events, wheelchair racing, discus, shot put and javelin, among others.

  • Blind football: all outfield players wear blindfolds and use their listening skills to locate a ball fitted with internal bells to shoot into goal.

  • Boccia (pronounced 'Bot-cha'): a Paralympic sport introduced in 1984. Two sides play indoors and, like bowls, the aim of the game is to get your ball closer to the jack than your opponent. Players are seated and the ball can be thrown, kicked, or rolled down a ramp onto the court.

Boccia is particularly inclusive - everyone plays boccia, disabled people don鈥檛 play an 'adapted' form of boccia, they just play boccia. Rafael says: 鈥淎bsolutely everybody that wants to can play. There is no impairment or severity of impairment鈥 that can stop somebody from being able to participate in some way to some degree.鈥

There鈥檚 the added benefit that if a child uses a ramp to roll the ball down, they may have a ramp operator who places the ball for them. That person can often be the child鈥檚 parent, who must follow the player鈥檚 instructions, thereby giving the child a sense of control and autonomy they may not have experienced before.

Find out more about the sports and activities your child could take part in, with the Super Movers for Every Body resources.

Two children playing blind football

What adjustments could be made if me or my child is feeling anxious to try inclusive sport?

You might not be sporty yourself, or you or your child may feel shy or anxious about taking that step towards joining a sport or club. These so-called 鈥渋nternal barriers鈥 are completely normal. Try and discuss these feelings with your child so you can find a way forward together.

It鈥檚 important to encourage and support disabled children to participate in sport from an early age to normalise it.鈥 鈥 Professor Maher
Three children throwing shot put

Rafael Young advises contacting the sports club you鈥檙e interested in via social media and asking any questions in advance: 鈥淲e鈥檝e met people coming for the first time in the car park, we鈥檝e reserved a parking place for someone anxious about coming鈥︹

You can also watch videos on a club鈥檚 social media feed to see how a sport is played, or via the Super Movers for Every Body website. Professor Maher also suggests (with your child鈥檚 permission) that you speak to your child鈥檚 coach or teacher about how your child feels about taking part in a sport, so that you can work on solutions.

Three children throwing shot put

He adds: 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to encourage and support disabled children to participate in sport from an early age to normalise it. Games should be fun, creative, involve choice, and involve parents as active participants, as these can build confidence and motivation to continue participating.

鈥淓ncouraging participation, providing positive feedback, setting goals with your child, and celebrating successes and achievements are also important for improving self-confidence and are important motivators for continued engagement in sport.鈥

Don鈥檛 worry 鈥 whilst it鈥檚 good for you and your child to do physical activities together, you don鈥檛 have to physically join them. You can also be their champion on the sidelines.

How can I find an inclusive sports club for my disabled child?

Professor Maher advises searching online: 鈥淎ctivity Alliance, Youth Sport Trust and Sport England websites are useful starting points. So, too, are the websites of national governing bodies of sport, such as British Blind Sport, UK Deaf Sport, Cerebral Palsy Sport, Wheelpower and Boccia [UK].鈥 You can also use the Disability Wales, Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) and Disability Sport NI websites as well as ParalympicsGB鈥檚 Every Body Moves online search tool, which is designed to enable you to search for local activities. Links to these organisations and more can be found in the Super Movers for Every Body article on How to get into Paralympic sports.

What if I can鈥檛 afford for my child to join sports clubs?

Both Rafael Young and Professor Maher concede there are challenges for parents of disabled children wanting to take part in sport, including 鈥渋naccessible facilities, limited local opportunities, transport and cost鈥. Rafael says most clubs will offer a free taster session and whilst, for boccia, there are weekly or monthly fees, they try to keep that amount low, and will always support a family if they can鈥檛 afford to pay. You can use the Family Fund towards sport, and the Youth Sport Trust may be able to help with equipment. Some clubs also have equipment to loan.

And, of course, you can always do stuff at home too to get your child into sport. Professor Maher says: 鈥淔or many children, home is a safe, secure, and familiar place where they are surrounded by their loved ones. While space and equipment may be limited, creativity does not have to be.鈥 Javelins made out of kitchen roll tubes, anyone?

This Parents' Toolkit article can help you learn more about adapting sports to a home environment.

That鈥檚 not all, we want to help all children and everybody to enjoy being active and feel good. Super Movers for Every Body created an inclusive collection of follow-along songs and dances for families. They鈥檙e short, sweet, super catchy, and just the ticket for five minutes of daily movement.

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