"How can we make it work for you?" Enabling sporting assemblages for disabled young people

Area of Science:

• Sociology of Sport
• Disability Studies
• Youth Development

Background:

• Disabled youth experience lower community participation than peers.
• Sport is crucial for identity, skill development, and belonging in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
• Despite inclusion policies, ableist attitudes create barriers in mainstream sports.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the material, social, and affective dimensions of enabling and disabling sporting environments for disabled youth.
• To analyze how social, affective, and material forces influence participation in local sporting activities.
• To assess implications for promoting inclusion of disabled youth in physical activity.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study using assemblage thinking from health and cultural geography.
• Interviews with 35 disabled young people (12-25 years), parents, and key informants.
• Examination of embodied experiences within sporting 'assemblages'.

Main Results:

• Disabled youth reported significant exclusion in mainstream sporting activities.
• Some participants found inclusion in adaptive sporting codes.
• Assemblage theory highlighted how converging forces enable or constrain participation.

Conclusions:

• Ableist attitudes and practices create disabling sporting environments.
• Adaptive sports offer inclusive alternatives.
• Further analysis is needed to improve inclusion for disabled youth in physical activity.