Sports play an important role in the lives of many people with disabilities, yet a number of barriers exist that have an impact on both active and passive participation. In 2023,
were nearly twice as high among disabled people than non-disabled people, with over 40 percent of adults with disabilities doing less than 30 minutes of exercise a week. Meanwhile, people with disabilities also face challenges as spectators, with inaccessibility and the attitude of others ranking among the
. Nevertheless, taking part in sports can be an overwhelmingly positive experience, with the associated physical and mental benefits found to be the
How can sports be made more accessible?
Sports stadiums can be challenging places for people with disabilities – loud, crowded, and in many cases, old and ill-equipped. In England and Wales, the
most beneficial service or facility for disabled fans was found to be accessible toilets, followed by easy access seating. New tech can also be of use, with tools to help navigate venues and audio descriptive headsets ranking among the
most helpful technologies for disabled attendees. In terms of participation, the
most welcome measures to improve activity levels among people with disabilities include support for people’s physical and mental health, as well as increased awareness of suitable activities.
Which countries have won the most Paralympic gold medals?
The Paralympics represent the pinnacle of adaptive (or para-) sports, providing the world’s best athletes with a global stage every four years. Ahead of Paris 2024, the
country with the most gold medals in the summer Paralympics was the United States, with 808 gold medals. 32 of these were won by Trischa Zorn, the
Paralympian with the most gold medals, with the swimmer participating in seven Games during her career. While the
international following of the Paralympics is smaller than the Olympics, with just 17 percent of Paris 2024 attendees predicted to come from outside France, organizers will hope that a successful Games can help raise the profile of parasports all over the world.
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