When thinking about the needs of children with disabilities, all too often the focus is on their limitations, and encouraging them to participate in sports can seem counterintuitive. However, physical activity is essential for everyone, bringing myriad physical health benefits, as well as improved mental health. 

By failing to provide equal opportunities for all, millions of children with disabilities are being disenfranchised and denied the benefits of sport and physical activity. Sport has the potential to transform lives, for all children, regardless of disability, and incorporating sport into their daily lives is crucial.

An important issue—but a low priority one? 

Strikingly, almost half (43%) of people living with disabilities are physically inactive. This is nearly twice the rate of inactivity for those without a disability (23%). Furthermore, activity levels of disabled people decrease as they get older, meaning it is even more important to encourage participation from an early age if they are not to avoid negative health consequences.

Beyond physical health, there is a holistic aspect to this disenfranchisement. By denying children the opportunity to take part in physical games and sports with their peers, their chances to engage and interact are reduced—which may lead to insecurity, anxiety, and other mental health issues. The problem is a vicious circle, as many with disabilities become worried about hurting themselves or have concerns about how they might look while playing sport. Because of this, children living with disabilities may become reluctant to engage – or be unsure how to do so – and sometimes need a little extra encouragement. 

Sadly, one of the biggest obstacles is that getting disabled children moving is not seen as a priority. Mainstream schools are often ill-equipped for their disabled cohort, and specialist schools sometimes have no sports equipment at all—or a dearth of professionals trained in physical activity. It doesn’t help, of course, that equipment can be prohibitively expensive, with a sports wheelchair, for example, costing from £4,000 to £7,000.

Benefits of physical activity for children with disabilities

There are multiple benefits to movement for children—physical, mental, and educational. Positive physical outcomes of movement are widely recognised and include elements such as better heart health and lung capacity, healthier bone density, and weight control. More specifically for children, exercise can also result in improved motor skills. Obviously, movement is of huge importance to everyone, but it can be even more crucial for those with disabilities, who may be at risk of later health complications due to inactivity.

Exercise also improves mental health and wellness, in part due to the increased flow of endorphins it stimulates. For children, it also boosts confidence and self-esteem, aiding to the development of social skills, as well as leading to potentially higher levels of focus in class.

The benefits for those with disabilities extend further. It can be a way for children to feel they are overcoming their limitations by mastering a new skill. Exercise has been proved to lead to better cognitive performance, including improved memory, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. All these aspects have the potential to vastly improve quality of life for children with disabilities.

Organisations making a difference

Fortunately, there are various organisations in the UK that help children with disabilities through sports. National charity Get Kids Going! gives disabled children and young people opportunities to participate in sport. They help those up to 26 years old by providing specialist equipment (which can be prohibitively expensive), thereby increasing inclusion and making it easier for disabled people to get involved in sports.

Get Kids Going! believes that there are over 200,000 children in the UK who could benefit from their support. The charity gives them the ability to participate in a huge range of sporting events including athletics, tennis, table tennis, basketball, curling, rugby, boccia, skiing and snowboarding, powerlifting, sailing, fencing, shooting, archery and even marathons.

Panathlon is another national charity which focuses on providing opportunities for young people with disabilities to take part in competitive sports. Operating for over 20 years, the organisation supports thousands of children each year, with a pathway that leads from local events right up to Paralympic competition. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Panathlon established a ‘virtual programme’ to enable schools to run their own competitions.

Entrepreneur Michael Cornelius Clinger recently initiated the Playing Sport Together project. This project helps to increase inclusion for differently-abled children, and was born out of Clinger’s own love of sports. Taking a unique approach to the issue of accessibility in physical activity, Playing Sports Together gives disabled children the opportunity to participate in extreme sports and other sporting event, by pairing them up with a professional athlete. At the charity’s heart is social responsibility, inclusivity, and diversity, and it aims to provide a ‘sanctuary’ for those who might otherwise feel excluded.

The primary focus of charity Access Sport is addressing the need to improve the health and wellbeing of all children in deprived communities, with a “strong emphasis” on those with disabilities. Access Sport has developed community sports clubs, built local facilities, trained sports coaches, and more, operating across targeted areas in London, Bristol, Manchester and Oxford.

For those interested in getting involved or finding out more, the organisation DisabilitySport.org.uk is a fantastic resource, providing free access to a range of information about organised sport and recreation for those with a disability. With a primary mission to improve access to these services, they also support and work with many organisations that aim to increase disability inclusion in sport.

Driving participation and changing attitudes

Physical activity should be a major and regular element of every child’s life. Unfortunately, however, it is all too often the opposite situation for many children with disabilities. There is also clear evidence that physical activity is key to developing cognitive functions, but despite this, both parents and schools tend to consider it a low priority.

It’s good news, of course, that there are so many organisations aiding disabled children and looking to help get them moving. However, this is a stopgap; the approach from schools needs to change more broadly and the physical needs of children must be prioritised across the board. Only then will attitudes to disability begin to shift and participation increase.

Increased participation in sport is essential for health and for developing new skills in the process, but just as important is the level of joy it can bring to all children, regardless of disability. Crucially, the earlier that disabled children are introduced to physical activities, the more impact it will have on their quality of life as a whole.