On Tuesday 11th June Activity Alliance published their fifth Annual Disability and Activity Survey Report.
They hosted a webinar and panel discussion to explore the findings, and we attended to see how the data will inform and support our work over the coming year.
The report showed that in a year where focus will be on the nation’s top Paralympians’ incredible achievements, the reality is that disabled people still face significant barriers when trying to be active in their communities.
More than 2000 disabled and non-disabled people aged 16+ completed the survey, and key results included:
- 43% of disabled people feel they have the chance to be as active as they desire, compared to 69% of non-disabled people.
- 59% say they rely on their benefits or financial assistance to be active.
- Disabled people are less than half as likely to ‘see people like them’ playing, working, and volunteering in sport and physical activity.
The report showed disabled people are twice as likely to be inactive than non-disabled people, and this disparity has remained consistent since the first report was released five years ago.
That needs to change.
As a representative organisation, Disability Positive will continue to be the voice of people with lived experience of disability and long-term health conditions. We will work alongside other Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) to listen and share people’s experiences to influence positive change in government policy, including access to sport and physical activity.
We will use our status as a Disability Confident Leader to help the leisure industry to attract, recruit and retain disabled staff to increase representation and foster a sense of belonging. We will also use our Customer Experience Audits and Disability Equality Training to ensure sport and physical activity providers understand the experience of a disabled person accessing their services, as well as identifying necessary changes in working practice to support and implement change in line with regulatory requirements.
Our Communities and Engagement Team will continue to deliver a programme of services that support disabled adults to access outdoor activities independently. By ensuring their needs are met with dignity and respect within a supportive and engaging environment, we will provide individuals with opportunities to increasing their social interaction, motivation, and resilience, increasing their future confidence when accessing other sport and physical activities.
You can read the full report here
