Disabilities | Free Full-Text | ‘Just Another Outing in a Boat’: Findings from the Evaluation of the Mixed Ability Sport Development Programme
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1. Introduction
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To investigate different stakeholder motivations/perceptions and attitudes towards the MA model.
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To explore enablers and challenges in implementing MA sport.
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To analyse the impacts of the MASDP on participants, clubs and the broader community.
It is an overview of the research findings that we present within this paper, and, as such, this study can be seen to contribute to a growing body of research concerned with enhancing inclusive sporting opportunities for disabled individuals and supporting the development of policy and practice in this area.
3. Results
This section presents a discussion relating to each of the three core themes identified through the analysis process, namely (i) the challenges of defining MA sport; (ii) the impacts of MA sport and (iii) the challenges and enablers of MA sport. As such, this section serves to provide a foundation for the concluding section of the paper, in which findings are drawn together to consider the capacity of MA sport to ‘shift’ (or not) perceptions of dis/ability and a means by which we might better enable positive impacts from future MA sport practices.
3.1. Defining MA Sport
It was evident from the data that there was some difficulty among participants in understanding and articulating exactly what MA sport is. For example, there was variation in how MA sport was referred to, with some participants identifying it as a ‘sport programme’ or an ‘intervention’, while others defined it as an ‘idea’ or a ‘philosophy’. Thus, MA sport meant different things to different people. Moreover, the model was ‘picked up’ and applied differently (and to varying degrees) within the MASDP sport contexts, with these diverse interpretations of the model leading to variation in practical provision. For example, within MA rowing, engagement with MA sport created a shift in thinking and practice at all levels of the club, whereas with MA bowls, it was perceived more as an ‘add on’ and distinct from broader club activities.
‘There was a guy [at the presentation] yesterday who said ‘but we already have sessions every Tuesday for the disabled kids from the local SEN [special educational needs] college’. We need to be very clear from the outset that Mixed Ability sport is very different from that.’
The essential elements of MA sport are those that must be present to align with the MA ethos and to set MA sport apart from, for example, segregated disability sport, Special Olympics and Paralympic-style provision. From the data, it was clear that these are not necessarily related to the physical activity aspect of sport. Rather, the environment that is created through MA sport was reported by participants as critical and must be safe, welcoming, non-judgmental and accessible. For example, MA rowing sessions start with a coffee and catch-up, where participants decide together on the session format in terms of whether they might like to train indoors, go for a longer row or work on a particular aspect of training. This was reported by participants to make the sessions more relaxed and accessible to a variety of abilities, as well as encouraging participants to input into decision-making. MA boxing participants also frequently reported that they would not feel able to enter a ‘mainstream’ boxing gym but were happy to join the MA group because they knew there would be people of varying abilities there. One MA boxing participant said this made them feel safe because they knew they ‘weren’t going to be the worst person there’. Others said that they felt safe because of the welcome they were given and that they were asked by the MA coach about how they could best be supported on arrival. One MA boxing participant, Martin, was a power-chair user and came with his mum. She also reported that she felt the environment was safe enough to not worry about leaving him:
‘I never felt as though I had to stop with him either. From the word go. Normally it’s like ‘do you want me to stop [stay here]?’ or I’ll ask or hang around but I just felt so confident [with this group].’
The data showed that it is also important that MA sport provision be regular, frequent, and sustained over time. This differs markedly from most disability provision and reportedly means that a sense of belonging is more easily developed. For example, leaders of MA sport sessions reported that they noticed changes in participants and the way they interacted as the weeks went by. The MA swimming coach stated that she could see improvement in swimming ability but also confidence in the familiar setting in one participant in particular. Through sustained participation in the MA boxing group over the course of a year, the lead author of the paper also experienced a notable sense of belonging in the group and enjoyed the ‘banter’ reported by many other participants.
For MA sport to adhere to the IMAS ethos, it is also critical that all participants train together as equals–that might be training individually or in pairs in the same space (e.g., MA boxing or swimming), or it might be playing collectively in the same team (e.g., MA rugby or cricket). The MA bowls example above, where non-disabled bowlers were only accompanying the disabled bowlers, therefore, does not meet this criterion and is more aligned with disability-specific provision.
To increase impacts from MA sport, further elements were shown to be helpful. For example, the data show that opportunities for social interaction, alongside an MA activity, will encourage perception shifts around dis/ability and further break down barriers to participation. This was evidenced particularly through MA rowing, where MA participants engaged with, and were included in, all aspects of club life–from weekly training sessions to social activities in the bar and celebratory events such as regattas. This, as one non-disabled club member put it, was important for ‘the hearts and minds thing’ and as a means of embedding MA rowing into the ethos of the club. Such views contrast with the more compartmentalised engagements of MA participants in other sport. In these contexts, participants still gained some benefit from social interaction during the activity sessions, but the broader societal impacts of club membership were not realised. Certainly, this appeared to be the case in MA swimming–which was held in a school pool with no area for socialising–and MA bowls–located in a mainstream bowls club but somewhat marginalised within the context. Indeed, the perception that the disabled bowlers were somehow ‘different’ resulted in challenges in meaningfully (and fully) integrating them into the club. For example, on the first research visit, it was not immediately clear where the MA bowls were taking place, with the activities being notably separate and being described by a club member in the bar area as ‘for the handicapped people’.
Finally, the ideal scenario for creating positive impacts through MA sport is if participants of all skill levels can be supported to engage with relevant activities from the start, though this may need to be a staged process, as it would with any beginner. With MA tennis and rowing, for example, a certain skill level had to be reached for new participants to be able to join in with more experienced club members. The MA rowing squad met on a Tuesday morning for a year to develop their skills before they were able to join other rowers on a Sunday morning. While this session was still highly regarded by participants, it was felt that real shifts in perception and belonging within the club happened when the rowers could join in at busier times and impacts would have been quicker if this had been possible from day one. One MA rower commented:
‘The Sunday morning sessions are starting to feel like it’s just another outing in a boat and it just happens to be with one of the Mixed Ability participants.’
3.2. The Impacts of MA Sport
The data showed the many positive impacts of involvement in MA sport. These were evident across types of sports for both disabled and non-disabled participants and were identified as being at the individual, club and societal levels.
At an individual level, physical health improvements were reported by many participants. For example, one boxing participant who identified as non-disabled reported that he would not have wanted to go to a boxing gym, or indeed any gym, as he finds them ‘a bit daunting’. However, he joined the MA boxing session because he wanted to ‘improve fitness, lose weight and learn some new skills’. After attending regularly, he was pleased to report that he had, indeed, lost weight and was also using his asthma inhaler less. A further tetraplegic power-chair user reported that attending MA boxing on a weekly basis had improved his arm mobility, strength and coordination quite dramatically. One of the MA rowers reported increased core strength, which was helping with balance on a day-to-day basis and especially in his ability to play rugby, and an MA swimming coach said she could see the difference in mobility and lung capacity in some participants.
For some participants, mental well-being was also perceived to be improved through being involved in MA sport. For example, the boxers above both reported increased confidence. More specifically, Martin explained that this extended beyond boxing, commenting that he was no longer so anxious about trying new things more generally. In addition, Martin’s mum said his involvement had impacted the whole family in a positive way because Martin was often unable to do things his siblings could, and MA boxing was a welcome departure from that dynamic. A sense of belonging is relevant again here, and this was often obvious to observe in sessions with fieldnotes documenting that participants were ‘notably comfortable with each other’s company’, and the word ‘banter’ was used frequently to describe what was fun about MA sessions. Similarly, following an observation of Edward, one of the MA rowers, fieldnotes recorded that his behavior, actions and interactions made it obvious he was seen as an equal member and very much ‘belonged’. For example, other rowers asked questions about upcoming plans they knew of and joked about incidents on the water in addition to teasing Edward about the amount of sugar he put in the coffee he had made himself at the bar.
At a club level, impacts included shifts in club culture towards being more inclusive, with clubs better representing their local communities and coaches being more comfortable with a diverse range of participants. Shifts in club culture were evident through, for example, an openness about members’ struggles with mental health, conversations about alternative and more accessible membership models, as well as more accessible infrastructure. For example, in the context of MA rowing, one (non-disabled) member approached the committee about paying membership fees weekly, adopting the same pricing model the MA participants used, as they found the annual membership hard to afford. Also, within MA boxing, the sports club it was hosted in acted quickly to widen a doorframe when it came to light that it was preventing access to electric wheelchair users.
Some managers of clubs involved with the MASDP felt they were more aware of how to better represent their local community and were attracting new, more diverse members through offering MA sport. The data also suggest that club coaches were impacted by clubs engaging with MA sport. When interviewed, some coaches commented that they had been ‘nervous’ before coaching disabled participants as part of the MA sport and had not felt prepared for these activities. However, upon reflection, involvement was seen as largely positive.
Across MA sports, coaches also reported increased reflecting on practice and improved communication skills. For example, MA rowing coaches commented that being involved in MA sport had encouraged them to ‘revisit and review’ their communication style and skills. Similarly, MA bowls coaches noted that they had become more creative in their approaches, and one MA boxing coach suggested he had become ‘more alert to people’s moods and body language’. Furthermore, an MA tennis coach mentioned that she had developed a more flexible and adaptable approach to reflect the broader range of skills and experience in an MA session. After coaching MA sessions, a common response was that coaches felt they were largely able to approach MA coaching in the same way that they would do for other sessions. As one MA tennis coach commented:
‘I was nervous to start with and thought I’d have to go on all these courses and do all these different things when actually you don’t have to do anything different at all. It’s about finding out from people how best they want you to coach them.’
At a societal level, impacts included a raised awareness of barriers faced by different people to participating in sport and society more broadly, as well as reported shifts in perceptions around dis/ability and social difference (explored further below). However, it was evident that this was not always a comfortable, smooth or linear process, and the data generated around the challenges people faced in this respect strongly reflected engrained societal perceptions around disability and sport. Those involved with rowing, in particular, had much to say about how MA rowing had made them reflect more broadly on their own understandings and biases. For example, one club member candidly explained the difficulties he had when one of the MA rowers was acting, in his mind, inappropriately, and how he has since reflected on the situation:
‘You know at the regatta he was shouting quite a lot and we’ve got visitors but actually you look around and everyone either was or became comfortable with it very quickly. So, did it cause any problems? Not any at all. Do I think the club is enriched by them being here? Yes, I think it is actually and I think the amount of people volunteering shows how much people are responding to that … but I’ve realised I’ve got a journey to do and it’s something I’m just not experienced with.’
Being involved in MA sport tended to allay non-disabled participants’ fears around communication difficulties with people they perceived as ‘different’. In some cases, this was reported to extend beyond those individuals they met through MA. For example, an MA rower stated:
‘I did feel [a bit uncomfortable] but once I started becoming personally involved and being in a boat with [the MA participants], all that went away … And I just thought “It’s done me some good really, being part of this training session” … For me it has made it easier to be around people when I don’t understand what they’re saying.’
A further MA rowing participant reflected emotionally on the relevance of the MA model for his family:
‘One of my grand-daughters has extra needs and so, over the past few years, I’ve had direct experience of being with her and encouraging her. It’s great to see something where people are actually involved in a community activity and not separated off all the time.’
Another reflected on how his perceptions had been challenged:
‘People do not know how to categorise and understand ‘Mixed Ability’ or ‘different ability’ and they’re frightened of it. I think there’s a fear factor there. And I think it comes back to this point that there isn’t a homogenous description or category that describes everybody. I think the barrier is realising that that is the same with any other level of oarsman whether that’s someone learning at the age of 50 or someone learning at the age of 15-there are mixed abilities there … It’s interesting and challenging. It is actually quite challenging because it challenges your own perceptions of what a person is or is not capable of.’
3.3. Enablers and Challenges to MA Sport
While the positive impacts of MA sport are encouraging, some factors were identified from the MASDP research as better enabling or, indeed, inhibiting them. Enablers included having MA ‘champions’ who advocate for the development of MA sport in a given context including those within NGBs; clubs that are already aspiring to be inclusive and an education piece running alongside MA sport activities. Conversely, the main challenge to MA sport was the engrained dominant societal perceptions of dis/ability that emerged through the data.
3.3.1. The Role of MA ‘Champions’
The role of ‘champions’ in driving MA sport was clear. These are people who, supported by IMAS, take forward the MA agenda in a club, in an organisation or even independently. Champions often have personal experience of disability and/or are facing barriers to participation in sport and are passionate about removing them for others. Many examples were evident in the data. For example, Mia was driving the development of MA boxing after a chronic health condition prevented her from training and competing at the level she wanted to. In addition, Carol established MA swimming after she attended an IMAS presentation at the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and Heather was championing MA rowing within the club having just taken on the club presidency. The latter example, perhaps, also highlighted how getting someone into a leadership position at a club facilitated progress. In contrast, there was no evident champion for MA tennis, and there were some false starts before the club managed to attract a viable number of participants and a keen coach. Likewise, MA cricket activities stalled because no champion was identified within that sport. Such findings resonate with the views of IMAS staff regarding the ‘pivotal role’ of MA Champions and the need, where possible, to work with clubs and organisations that had already expressed an interest in the concept of MA sport.
At a national level, the theme of champions and drivers of MA sport played out through the relevant NGBs. As noted by the IMAS representatives, if they were able to identify an individual within an NGB that understood and saw the value in MA sport, it was far more likely that it would be supported. As an example, a senior representative from England Boxing stated that the MA model ‘works well for the sport’ and that they would rather promote MA boxing than disability-specific boxing. However, they explained that there was a need for interactive resources and workshops to start promoting MA boxing and allow it to reach a wider audience. In a similar vein, a representative of British Rowing commented that, although NGBs would like to be more inclusive, they are working within a historical framework of elite sport. They suggested that for MA sport to be supported, clubs would need to ‘get something from it’ and would perhaps need to be ‘rewarded’ in some way for inclusionary outcomes as well as winning.
3.3.2. Clubs That Aspire to Be Inclusive
Our data showed that ‘welcoming’ community sports clubs that genuinely want to better represent their local community, increase participation in sport and demonstrate an openness to the possibility of removing participation barriers are more likely to be places where MA activities will thrive. However, many of these ‘welcoming’ clubs assumed that they were already inclusive and were not aware of the barriers that were, often unintentionally, preventing others from joining. For example, in MA rowing, the club president highlighted that while the club was ‘welcoming’, the ‘elite and highly competitive image of rowing’ and the long history of male domination in the sport could put people off approaching them. Similarly, with MA tennis, the manager spoke of the ‘traditional’ image of the tennis and squash club and the impact being a ‘member’s club’ has on its ‘community image and appeal’. Indeed, a coach at the club recalled in an interview the first time she spoke about introducing MA sport and the reception it received:
‘When we first mentioned the words ‘Mixed Ability’ and ‘disability’ it was like [sharp intake of breath] just because it’s a very traditional club, it was a members-only club so the fact that non-members would be coming in, it’s ‘well this is a tennis and squash club, you can’t start doing boxing and dance.’ But now, [the members have] seen the effect it’s had on people and the fact that these participants go and socialise upstairs, and they’ve met them, and they’ve got involved themselves, it’s massively changed and they’re all ‘we want more Mixed Ability sports, we want more classes on’.
While this club saw themselves as ‘welcoming’, the quote reflects a range of embedded norms around, for example, the ‘types’ of sport that are acceptable–i.e., tennis and squash rather than boxing and dance–and the jarring nature of non-members in a members’ club. These embedded norms will likely discourage people from approaching the club and/or feeling welcome when they get there. The research highlighted that clubs may need to think more critically about existing barriers and challenges to being truly inclusive.
3.3.3. The Educational Component of the MA Model
The educational component of the MA model–where IMAS Trainers go into clubs and discuss their lived experience of disability–was somewhat limited within the MASDP. This was due to a range of factors including a lack of funding at the club level to pay for IMAS training and a lack of understanding of the role of (or need for) education in facilitating the sustainability of MA sport. Data showed that where the educational component was present, it complemented the MA sport offer incredibly well. For example, the MA rowing context had an initial presentation with IMAS in December 2016 before starting MA activities, and it was notable that this helped to engender a good understanding of the MA ethos among club members. Indeed, in one focus group discussion, a rowing club committee member stated:
‘The Model that was described to us [in the IMAS presentation] … made clear that people with disabilities wanted to take part in the club properly. They wanted to take part in the social life of the club … rather than being in their own kind of ghetto or their own enclave. So, the whole point was participation in the wider club.’
While we acknowledge that the choice of terms used by the participant in this quote is somewhat problematic, it encourages important reflection on broader perceptions around disability. This understanding of the ethos of MA sport contrasted starkly with the bowls club, where it was notable that the understanding of the MA model was somewhat patchy, perhaps because financial support had not been available at the time of the research for IMAS trainers to present to members. This was evident even in the language used, some of which leaned towards a charitable view of disability and certainly towards segregated disability provision. For example, one of the session leaders stated:
‘I am sure we could double our disabled group overnight if we could get more people interested in helping our less fortunate guys.’
3.3.4. Dominant Societal Perceptions
In contrast to the enablers identified above, the key challenge to positive impacts from MA sport was the dominant societal perceptions of dis/ability that emerged through the data. Most commonly, perceptions aligned with the ‘othering’ of disabled participants and a more charitable model of disability. For example, non-disabled players often perceived themselves as ‘volunteers’ rather than equal participants. This was demonstrated clearly in the MA bowls context through the language used and the fact that people who identified as non-disabled did not take part but instead ‘supported’ the visually impaired bowlers. This perception interacted with, and was perhaps exacerbated by, an assumption that the skill level of disabled participants would be ‘lower’, and they would be slower to improve. This represented a conflation of ‘skill’ with ‘ability’ and often failed to reflect the reality of the situation. For example, in the MA boxing sessions, a participant with learning difficulties was by far the most skillful member of the group and the most interested in progressing to contact boxing.
This perception still resulted in many potential participants who identify as non-disabled being reluctant to be involved in MA sport activities. The reluctance was often underpinned by an assumption that they would not have a ‘challenging’ sporting experience in an MA scenario. For example, an interviewee spoke of how MA bowls would only really be feasible for people ‘who enjoyed social bowls rather than competitive bowls’, and some rowing club members felt that other rowing clubs in the area would not be open to the idea of MA rowing because they were ‘more focused on competition’. Similarly, MA tennis participants, while stressing the welcoming and social nature of their group, queried whether all sessions at the club would be as suitable for MA participants:
‘We know what our [MA] group’s about on a Friday and we’re perfectly happy to encompass that. Now whether you would be if you wanted to take it to a higher level then I don’t know. If you seriously wanted coaching and you wanted to improve, you know, we’re there for social tennis really.’
That said, shifts in these perceptions were evident as the MASDP project progressed. One context in which this was particularly evident was MA rowing. Within the club, non-disabled rowers started by perceiving themselves as volunteers, while the MA rowers who were new to the sport were learning the basics. However, as the MA rowers improved and were able to join in with regular Sunday morning sessions, where more club members were present, the ‘volunteers’ started to perceive themselves more as equal participants. As one individual noted, it began to ‘feel like it’s just another outing in a boat’. Club members also expressed some surprise with regard to the ability of the MA rowers:
‘I’ll be honest and say I was expecting [the MA rowers] to be slower to get to this level. One thing I wasn’t sure about was how good their coordination and balance would be (but) their balance is superb, which makes a huge difference.’
In other contexts, too, MA participants who identify as non-disabled perceived themselves as equal participants, who were benefiting from being involved themselves. This was evident in the earlier case study of Harry and MA boxing, where Harry had clearly benefited from the activity and had also enjoyed the supportive nature of the group. This situation is better aligned with the MA ethos where participants are equal, and those who identify as non-disabled do not perceive themselves as ‘volunteers’.
Further aligning with perceptions of disability, it was interesting to see that data generated through the study indicated how some non-disabled people often distanced themselves from disability despite, for example, having age-related mobility issues or hearing aids. When the word ‘disability’ was used, it was clear that some images were most prominent. For some, disability brought images of ‘wheelchairs’ (e.g., ‘When I thought of disability, I straightaway just thought about someone that was in a wheelchair’) whereas, for others, there was a difference between ‘physical’ and ‘learning’ disability and the level of familiarity or dis/comfort they brought with them (‘I’ll lay my cards on the table and say I think I’d find it very difficult to coach someone with learning difficulties’). Many also used ‘othering’ language, which included the dichotomy of ‘normal’ (us) and ‘them’ (MA participants). Again, the data showed that being involved in MA often encouraged reflection on these perceptions, and many interviewees reported changes in the way they thought about dis/ability and difference more broadly. This aligns with IMAS’ emphasis on experiential learning and their views that sport is a valuable vehicle for this, given the practical aspect of MA and the space to reflect after the activity on perceptions.
4. Discussion
Limitations and Further Research
The MA model has continued to evolve since the MASDP. Further research to track ongoing impacts in existing and new contexts would be valuable to continue to supplement our findings here. As the role of MA education is more formalised and embedded into the MA model, research around the impacts of this experiential and peer-led component could add valuable insights into the potential of this to shift perceptions around disability.
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