Kunene Siyabonga H
Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Wits Sports and Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Afr J Disabil. 2025 Feb 28;14:1532. doi: 10.4102/ajod.v14i0.1532. eCollection 2025.
Despite the transformation initiatives, the inclusion of people with disabilities in sports remains a challenge. Athletes with disabilities (AWDs) in low- and medium-socioeconomic countries are still being left behind, including in South Africa. They are facing various challenges.
This study aimed to explore barriers and facilitators to sports participation and the needs of AWDs.
This was a qualitative study design based on semi-structured interviews. Interviews were conducted with South African Paralympians. Permission was obtained from a physical disability association. Ethical clearance was issued by the University of the Witwatersrand Human Research Ethics Committee. An interview schedule with predetermined questions was used to guide the interviews. Interviews were held face-to-face or online from 20 min to 30 min per interview. All participants gave consent. The data were transcribed verbatim and analysed in themes deductively.
A total of 23 athletes participated, 12 of which were females and 11 were males. Participants were mostly Africans ( = 23) with a mean age of 26 years. All had over 5 years of sporting experience. Barriers included: Social stigma, a lack of disability awareness, limited opportunities to participate in sports; limited access to resources and services. Facilitators included: health; belonging; fulfilment, winning, and support from loved ones.
Results showed a need to scale up disability inclusion, especially regarding the rendering of healthcare services and making resources available.
This article provides knowledge that may be useful as a baseline for developing a suitable intervention for AWDs.
尽管有各种转型举措，但残疾人参与体育运动仍然是一项挑战。中低收入国家的残疾运动员（AWD）仍被落在后面，南非的情况也是如此。他们面临着各种挑战。
本研究旨在探讨残疾运动员参与体育运动的障碍和促进因素以及他们的需求。
这是一项基于半结构化访谈的定性研究设计。对南非残奥会运动员进行了访谈。获得了一个肢体残疾协会的许可。威特沃特斯兰德大学人类研究伦理委员会批准了伦理审查。使用一份带有预定问题的访谈提纲来指导访谈。访谈通过面对面或在线方式进行，每次访谈时长20分钟至30分钟。所有参与者均表示同意。数据被逐字转录并进行主题演绎分析。
共有23名运动员参与，其中12名女性，11名男性。参与者大多是非洲人（n = 23），平均年龄为26岁。所有人都有超过5年的运动经验。障碍包括：社会污名、缺乏对残疾的认识、参与体育运动的机会有限；获得资源和服务的机会有限。促进因素包括：健康；归属感；成就感、获胜以及来自亲人的支持。
结果表明需要扩大对残疾的包容，特别是在提供医疗服务和提供资源方面。
本文提供的知识可能有助于作为为残疾运动员制定适当干预措施的基线。
