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Sport and Disability in Northern Ireland

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Sport and Disability in Northern Ireland Research and Information Service Research Paper 29 January 2021 Karen McCallion Sport and disability in Northern Ireland NIAR 306-2020 This research examines Northern Ireland’s sports and physical activity participation rates for those with a disability. The second part of the paper provides details of key challenges for disability sport, how relevant organisations are tackling those challenges, the resulting impacts and future plans. Paper No. 27/21 29 January 2021 Research and Information Service briefings are compiled for the benefit of MLAs and their support staff. Authors are available to discuss the contents of these papers with Members and their staff but cannot advise members of the general public. We do, however, welcome written evidence that relates to our papers and this should be sent to the Research and Information Service, Northern Ireland Assembly, Room 139, Parliament Buildings, Belfast BT4 3XX or e-mailed to [email protected] NIAR 306-2020 Research Paper Key Points . Comparing participation levels between 2010 and 2020, people with disabilities in Northern Ireland (NI) are still almost half as likely to regularly participate in sport and physical activity as non-disabled people. The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) recommends 150 minutes of physical activity over the course of five days each week. The CMO’s guidelines also suggest that the risk of progression of disabilities affecting the basic activities of daily life is almost halved in those who undertake regular moderate intensity physical activity, compared to those who do not.1 . People with disabilities in NI have the lowest sport participation rates compared with other jurisdictions in the UK and Ireland. NI has the highest prevalence of disability in the UK. According to the Labour Force Survey, one in every five adults (21.7%) aged between 16 and 64 years old has a disability. The UK proportion of people with a disability is 17.4%. A six percentage point increase in disability sport participation levels was targeted in the former Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure Sport Matters 2009 – 2019 strategy. This target appears to have been achieved2. However, the gap in monthly sport participation levels between people with disabilities and non-disabled people has remained static. Sport NI’s investment in elite disability sport has increased by five percentage points since 2013. The number of NI elite athletes competing in the Paralympics increased from three to eight participants between 2000 and 2016. Medals won has risen from 1 to 6. According to Disability Sport NI, access to sport facilities has improved in response to legislation. Since 2014, twenty facilities have been awarded DSNI’s Inclusive Sports Facility Accreditation Scheme, 10 NI Governing Bodies have an Inclusive Sport Award and all 11 District Councils have a ‘Disability Sport Hub’. Despite this investment, the Continuous Household Survey demonstrates that the gap between disabled and non-disabled members of sports clubs is widening. The 2019 Sport NI Club survey3 reported that 3% of 128,587 club members were people with disabilities. Club access for people with disabilities was noted as a barrier by 12% of sports clubs with outdoor facilities and 7% with indoor facilities. Recent research has shown that COVID-19 restrictions have had a particularly negative impact on sporting and physical activity participation levels for those with a disability. Over one third of applicants (33%) to Sport NI’s COVID-19 Hardship Grant reported a disability. 1 UK Gov. Chief Medical Officers Physical Activity Guidelines 2019 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/832868/uk-chief-medical- officers-physical-activity-guidelines.pdf Page last accessed 22.01.2021 2 DfC Sport Matters 2009-2019 https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/articles/sport-matters-strategy 3 Sport NI Sport Club Survey 2019 https://indd.adobe.com/view/16e5cc1b-4497-4f06-a80d-e074cea1b9f7 Northern Ireland Assembly, Research and Information Service 1 NIAR 306-2020 Research Paper Northern Ireland Assembly, Research and Information Service 2 NIAR 306-2020 Research Paper Executive Summary The first part of this research paper examines Northern Ireland’s (NI) sports and physical activity participation rates for those with a disability and compares some of this data with sport participation surveys from other jurisdictions. The second part of the paper explores the challenges for disability sport in NI. And the last section addresses how relevant organisations, such as Sport Northern Ireland (SNI) and Disability Sport Northern Ireland (DSNI) propose to tackle those issues, given the current legislative and strategic contexts. Similar to findings highlighted in a 2014 RaISe research paper4, people with a disability in Northern Ireland exercise significantly less than those without a disability. In 2019/20, 28% of people with disabilities participated regularly in physical activity, compared with 52% of non-disabled adults. This means that people with a disability are still around half as likely to participate in sport as others. This is similar to findings in 2010. The 2011 Census and the Office for National Statistics Labour Force survey for 2019/20 have indicated that around one fifth (or 360,000) of the population of Northern Ireland are considered to have a long-term limiting illness (currently used as a working definition of ‘disability’). It has been stated that this figure represents the highest prevalence of disability in the UK. Also, people with disabilities and aged over 50 are least likely to be physically active. This is against a context where the median age of the population is increasing and where the adverse medical consequences of physical inactivity5, are becoming increasingly understood. The risk of progression of disabilities affecting the basic activities of daily life is almost halved in those who undertake regular moderate intensity physical activity, compared to those who do not. Barriers to participation in sports and physical activities for those with disabilities, often mirror the barriers for broader participation in society. As outlined in a research briefing produced for the former Culture, Arts and Leisure (CAL) Committee in 2010, barriers fall into three themes6; . Environment - access to facilities, lack of transport and poor community capacity; . Social - attitudes that might restrict sport for certain groups and resulting actions of leisure managers and policy makers; . Personal - lack of money, time, poor confidence and a negative body image. Sport NI, in partnership with DSNI, aimed to increase participation rates in sport and physical recreation among people with a disability by six percentage points between 4 NIA RaISe Sport provisions for people with a disability 2014 http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/globalassets/documents/raise/publications/2014/culture_arts_leisure/14214.pdf 5 Ruth Hunter and Mark Tully Inequalities in Sport KESS Policy Briefing 2015 http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/globalassets/documents/raise/knowledge_exchange/briefing_papers/hunter-and- tully_inequalities-in-sport-briefing.pdf 6 NIA RaISe Barriers to sport and physical activity 2010 http://archive.niassembly.gov.uk/researchandlibrary/2010/1810.pdf Northern Ireland Assembly, Research and Information Service 3 NIAR 306-2020 Research Paper 2011 and 20197. Although this target appears to have been met, the size of the gap in participation levels between people with disabilities and those without has remained static. Ireland’s sport and physical activity strategy has aimed to reduce these gaps as well as increase overall participation levels. According to DSNI, access to sport facilities has improved in response to legislation. Since 2014, twenty facilities have been awarded DSNI’s Inclusive Sports Facility Accreditation Scheme, 10 NI Governing Bodies have an Inclusive Sport Award and all 11 District Councils have a ‘Disability Sport Hub’. However, DSNI have also recently reported that more sports and more places in Northern Ireland need to be made more accessible. One recommendation from the mid-term review of the Sport Matters strategy, suggested a collaborative approach to achieving the 6% point increase in participation. In May 2015, Sport Northern Ireland invited a number of key stakeholders from the Departments of Health, Education and Communities, as well as representatives from Disability Sport NI and Disability Action, to discuss current and future disability sport provision in Northern Ireland. In 2016, the Active Living – No Limits 2016-2021 strategy was published. This provided a co-designed framework for £1.1million of investment and a strategic project board to oversee the achievement of the 17 actions identified, following consultations with people who have disabilities and their carers. Despite this investment, the Continuous Household Survey demonstrates that the gap between disabled and non-disabled members of sports clubs is widening. The 2019 Sport NI Club Survey8 reported that 3% of 128,587 club members were people with disabilities. Club access for people with disabilities was noted as a barrier by 12% of sports clubs with outdoor facilities and 7% with indoor facilities. The number of NI athletes competing in the Paralympics has increased from three to eight participants between 2000 and 2016. And the number of medals won by NI athletes at the Paralympics has risen from one to six, within that same timescale. Funding for disability sport has increased almost tenfold since 2009. Most has been invested in elite sport. Sport NI’s Disability Action Plan aims to fund at least 13 athletes over the course of three years. According to Disability Sport NI’s 2018 Annual Report, five athletes received funding during a twelve month period. COVID-19 restrictions have had a particularly negative impact on physical activity levels for those with a disability. Over one third of applicants (33%) to Sport NI’s Hardship Grant reported a disability. Sport NI’s 2020-2024 corporate plan was out for consultation at the time of writing and publication of the Department for Communities’ new sports strategy has been postponed due to COVID-19.
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