Disability Sport Info

In this episode, I'm joined by Josef Baines,  Insight Manager at London Sport, to discuss the physical activity and sport participation of disabled Londoners.  We consider the current sport and physical activity of disabled Londoners, including projects London Sport are supporting. We discuss the impact and influence of the cost of living crisis on disabled Londoners' sport and physical activity participation. We move onto policy where we consider London Sport's Manifesto and the latest government policy for sport, Get Active (2023). The legacy from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is considered, followed by Josef explaining the lessons he's learned from working in the disability sport and physical activity sector.  Thanks for listening to the Disability Sport Info show! Please email disabilitysportinfo@gmail.com to share your feedback. I'd love to hear from you.

In this episode, I speak to Owain Davies, CEO of Level Playing Field, to discuss Level Playing Field's Unite For Access 2023 campaign. We first discuss the sport spectatorship experiences of disabled sports fans, considering the gaps in provision as well as best practice examples. The second half of the episode focuses on the Unite For Access campaign. The campaign runs from Saturday 25th February 2023 to Sunday 12th March 2023 and aims to improve access and inclusion for disabled sports fans. We consider how the Unite For Access initiative can celebrate existing accessibility initiatives as well as highlighting the importance of inclusion and accessibility for disabled sports fans. More information about the Unite For Access campaign is available here: https://www.levelplayingfield.org.uk/campaigns-research/weeks-of-action/unite-for-access-2023/ Thanks for listening to the Disability Sport Info show! Please email disabilitysportinfo@gmail.com to share your feedback. I'd love to hear from you.

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr Andrea Bundon to discuss the transition and retirement experiences of Parasport athletes. We consider the current support and experiences of athletes who are exiting the sport. We discuss the impact of being declassified, an issue unique to Parasport, and how this impacts the athlete. Finally, we appraise how post-playing career support and guidance for athletes can be improved. Link to Project PRISM: https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/phc/impact/project-prism/ Thanks for listening to the Disability Sport Info show! Please email disabilitysportinfo@gmail.com to share your feedback. I'd love to hear from you.

In this episode, I speak with Dr Bryce Dyer to understand the role technology plays in Parasport performance. We consider how technology has developed from crude pieces of technology to sophisticated, state of the art equipment. The disparity in technology between richer and poorer nations is appraised, including how this impacts their Paralympic performance. We discuss, at length, the cases of Markus Rehm and Oscar Pistorius, evaluating the role and influence of technology on their performances. Finally, Dr Dyer explains what gold standard technology in Parasport means to him. Listen to this episode if you want to get a detailed insight about the role and importance of technology in Parasport.  Thanks for listening to the Disability Sport Info show! Please email disabilitysportinfo@gmail.com to share your feedback. I'd love to hear from you.

In this episode, I speak with elite Deaf athletes, Claire Stancliffe and Nathan Young, about their sporting careers. Claire is a GB & England Deaf Women's footballer, while Nathan is a GB & England Deaf Swimmer. In the episode, we consider Claire and Nathan's careers, the (lack of) funding and recognition of Deaf sport, and how the UK sport system compares internationally. Finally, Claire and Nathan consider how the Deaf sport system can be improved.  Thanks for listening to the Disability Sport Info show! Please email disabilitysportinfo@gmail.com to share your feedback. I'd love to hear from you.

In this episode, I discuss the support provided to Parasport athletes. I speak with Dr Mike Hutchinson of the British Paralympic Association to consider this in more detail. On the show, we discuss the nature and extent of support provided to athletes, the influence and role of classification, and how the BPA are supporting athletes in the lead-up to the Paris 2024 Paralympics.  Thanks for listening to the Disability Sport Info show! Please email disabilitysportinfo@gmail.com to share your feedback. I'd love to hear from you.

In this episode, I speak with Dr Rob Townsend to consider high-performance Parasport coaching. We consider the current state of play, the scope and quality of coach education in Parasport, as well as examples of best practice. Below are links to papers referenced in the episode. Link to Rob's PhD thesis: https://bit.ly/43mveXdLink to paper discussing care from the perspective of a highly impaired high-performance athlete https://bit.ly/3U9YZ9n Thanks for listening to the Disability Sport Info show! Please email disabilitysportinfo@gmail.com to share your feedback. I'd love to hear from you.

This episode explores cheating methods in Parasport. I'm joined by former GB Paralympian, and current PhD researcher at the University of Birmingham, Ali Jawad, to explore this area in more depth. On the show, Ali explains why classification may be the biggest threat to the integrity of the Paralympics. The controversial and dangerous method of boosting is discussed, followed by an assessment of doping in Parasport. Finally, Ali explains why athletes need to have a greater say in the regulation of anti-doping. This episode was recorded in April 2022 ahead of the high-performance sport series  and while recording the Accessercise episode with Ali. Thanks for listening to the Disability Sport Info show! Please email disabilitysportinfo@gmail.com to share your feedback. I'd love to hear from you.

In this episode, I speak with Professor David Legg to understand how Parasport can be managed and governed. We discuss what Parasport is and how nations have approached the management of sport for elite athletes with impairments. We consider how the efficiency of Parasport management and governance can be improved. Finally, we turn our attention to the future of Parasport and the most important factors that will shape future management and governance.  Thanks for listening to the Disability Sport Info show! Please email disabilitysportinfo@gmail.com to share your feedback. I'd love to hear from you.

In this episode, I explore talent identification and development of athletes in Parasport. I speak with Professor Joe Baker to understand in detail what talent identification and development is. We consider approaches to finding and developing talent in a Parasport context, as well as how to build a sustainable Parasport talent system.  Thanks for listening to the Disability Sport Info show! Please email disabilitysportinfo@gmail.com to share your feedback. I'd love to hear from you.

In this episode, I explore the classification system. I speak with PhD student, Janet Lawson, to understand in detail what classification is, as well as some of the challenges with the classification process. We consider why classification is often a misunderstood process, as well as why it can be source of controversy. Finally, we consider how the classification process can be improved. Thanks for listening to the Disability Sport Info show! Please email disabilitysportinfo@gmail.com to share your feedback. I'd love to hear from you.

In this short episode, I reflect on the 1st year of the podcast and look forward to year 2 of the podcast. I also issue a call for feedback on the podcast. Thanks for listening to the Disability Sport Info show! Please email disabilitysportinfo@gmail.com to share your feedback. I'd love to hear from you.

In this episode, I speak with Adam Blaze, CEO of Activity Alliance, the leading voice for disabled people in sport and activity in England. We discuss the role of the Activity Alliance in supporting disabled people to be active. We consider the policy challenges and opportunities facing the Activity Alliance. We then assess disabled people's current physical activity and sport participation. Finally, we consider whether it's possible there will ever be parity in sport participation between disabled and non-disabled people.Disability Sport Info has been shortlisted for the Best Equality and Social Impact podcast in the Sports Podcast Awards! To show your support for the podcast, be sure to vote for Disability Sport Info before 6th April 2023, the closing date for voting. Voters will need to go to https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-equality-and-social-impact-podcast/ and from there either login or create an account to cast your vote.  Thanks for listening to the Disability Sport Info show! Please email disabilitysportinfo@gmail.com to share your feedback. I'd love to hear from you.

This is a bumper episode that focuses on sport participation in action for disabled people. The following topics are covered:Voluntary sports clubs;Coaching;Visual impairments;Physical impairments;Intellectual impairments;Deaf sport;Accessercise fitness app.Each topic is available as a standalone episode on my Disability Sport Info podcast site: https://disabilitysportinfo.buzzsprout.comThanks for listening to the Disability Sport Info show! Please email disabilitysportinfo@gmail.com to share your feedback. I'd love to hear from you.

In this special episode, I speak to Ali Jawad, a GB Paralympian currently studying a PhD in anti-doping in Paralympic sport, to discuss the Accessercise app he has created. Accessercise is a fitness app specifically designed for people with impairments. In the episode, we consider why the app has been created, the features of the app, and consider how the app can support disabled people to be physically active. Accessercise is available to download via the Apple App Store or Google Play.Website link: https://join.accessercise.com/ Twitter: @accesserciseThis episode was recorded on 11th April 2022.Thanks for listening to the Disability Sport Info show! Please email disabilitysportinfo@gmail.com to share your feedback. I'd love to hear from you.

This episode of the Disability Sport Info show explores coaching in grassroots disability sport. Keon Richardson explains what coaching is and how to provide the best coaching experience for disabled people. Challenges for coaches are considered along with potential recommendations for coaches. Links to STEP model:UK Coaching: https://www.ukcoaching.org/resources/topics/videos/subscription/the-step-model-explained England Football Learning: https://learn.englandfootball.com/articles/resources/2022/make-coaching-personal-with-the-step-framework  Thanks for listening to the Disability Sport Info show! Please email disabilitysportinfo@gmail.com to share your feedback. I'd love to hear from you.

This episode of the Disability Sport Info show considers the sport participation and physical activity experience of individuals with an intellectual impairment. Dr Eric Svanelöv, of Mälardalen University, considers the sport participation experiences of individuals with an intellectual impairment. We discuss how intellectual impairment is positioned and perceived in society and the impact this has on sport participation. We also consider the relationship between sport and social care. Thanks for listening to the Disability Sport Info show! Please email disabilitysportinfo@gmail.com to share your feedback. I'd love to hear from you.

This episode of the Disability Sport Info show considers the sport participation and physical activity experience of individuals with a physical impairment. Dr Toni Williams, of Durham University, explains the sport participation experiences of physically impaired individuals. We consider some of the enablers and barriers physically impaired people face when accessing and participating in sport and physical activity. We also discuss how providers can promote sport and physical activity. Finally, we consider what can be done to increase the sport participation and physical activity of people with physical impairments. Thanks for listening to the Disability Sport Info show! Please email disabilitysportinfo@gmail.com to share your feedback. I'd love to hear from you.

This episode of the Disability Sport Info show considers visually impaired sport. Dr Jess Macbeth explains the sport participation experiences of visually impaired individuals. We consider some of the enablers and barriers visually impaired people face when accessing and participating in sport. We also discuss the importance of providers being aware of the lived experience of visual impairment when designing and providing sport. Thanks for listening to the Disability Sport Info show! Please email disabilitysportinfo@gmail.com to share your feedback. I'd love to hear from you.

In this Disability Sport Info episode, I'm joined by Professor Ruth Jeanes to discuss the role of voluntary sport clubs in the grassroots sport participation of disabled people. We explore the opportunities for disabled people to participate at clubs, the effectiveness of clubs in engaging with disabled people, and how clubs can improve the quality of their disability provision. Thanks for listening to the Disability Sport Info show! Please email disabilitysportinfo@gmail.com to share your feedback. I'd love to hear from you.