Environmental barriers to sport: a comparative study of children with and without disabilities

Abstract

In the international scientific literature, multiple environmental barriers have been identified that hinder children with disabilities from participating in sport. However, no studies have been conducted to compare children with and without disabilities. To fill this gap, the parental perception of environmental barriers was assessed in a sample of 233 parents of children aged 5 to 11 years old (99 with disabilities and 134 without disabilities). Data show that the environmental barriers in which the greatest differences emerge between groups are the lack of economic resources to support the child's participation and the quality of sports activities in terms of physical, cognitive, and social skills required of the child to participate. The implications of the findings are discussed in the light of the pedagogical principle of inclusion for all.