Date of Award
11-2022
Document Type
Master Thesis
Degree Name
Masters of Science (Research)
Department
Health and Leisure
First Advisor
Una Moynihan
Second Advisor
Pat Flanagan
Third Advisor
Therese Conway
Abstract
In 2008, the Irish Sports Inclusion Disability Programme (SIDP) was established to provide opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in a variety of sports and physical activity. Regular monitoring has been sporadic and disparate (Sport Ireland, 2016). Using the four-stage method of Appreciative Inquiry (Cooperrider, 1987), a series of interviews was undertaken with providers of the SIDP. Fourteen Coordinators, SIDOs and sports development workers were interviewed about the strengths, impacts and future for the SIDP. Six participants of the programmes also took part in a focus group concerning their perspectives of the current state and future potential for the SIDP. Analysis was completed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six step thematic analysis method employing NVivo coding software. Findings highlighted three strengths: strong evidence for champions of inclusion as the driving force behind the success of the programme, effective local and regional cooperation and effective use of the inclusion spectrum in the SIDP. The SIDP has impacted the Irish disability sports sector by raising recognition of disability sports within mainstream sports and the public, by enhancing training capacity, supporting more regional competition and providing innovation to the sector. It has impacted participants by providing social support, sporting progression and personal development. The existence of several institutional, environmental and attitudinal barriers to SIDP provision were also evidenced, including lack of transport, a lack of coordination and trained personnel within the SIDP as well as lingering negative attitudes to disability sports in the public and mainstream sports. Facilitator’s suggestions to counteract these barriers included creating new partnerships, improving or facilitating transport for programmes, developing more inclusive National Governing Bodies, improving training capacity and expanding strategic planning to include the SIDP as a whole. A set of recommendations are also provided on how to best achieve the future goals as set out by the study.
Recommended Citation
O Carroll Reidy, Jennifer, "An Appreciative Inquiry of Community Based Disability Sports and Physical Activity Provision to Guide Future Development" (2022). Theses [online].
Available at: https://sword.cit.ie/allthe/826
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Access Level
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
