Make your resources more accessible by adapting workouts and having multiple options that suit different levels and abilities.
The pandemic was hugely impactful on the activity levels of Disabled people. Having little choice but to shield or isolate meant that many Disabled people became more reliant on organisations and the resources they produce to get active.
In 2021 we conducted our Active at Home survey, which gathered insight from 350 people who identify as Disabled or having a long-term health condition. The study highlighted how things have changed for Disabled people during the coronavirus pandemic and what would be needed to support them to return to physical activity. You can read our research about how Disabled people get active on our website.
We used this research to produce the following guide. It covers how you can produce better, more engaging, and accessible resources for Disabled people so that everyone can continue to get active in ways that suit them.
Disabled people deserve better
The findings from our research have uncovered some key pieces of learning. It showed that many people need a more flexible or ‘hybrid’ approach – and that organisations need to consider going forward to ensure that no one is left behind.
During lockdown, 69% of Disabled people preferred to get active indoors, citing various concerns, including personal safety. This has placed the onus on organisations and providers to promote flexibility and continue to offer a variety of activities, both online and face to face.
“We will carry on programming online sessions too as a way to reach people who can’t come to face to face sessions yet.”
New resources for a new normal
Strikingly, only 20% of those surveyed felt the resources provided to keep active at home were good enough.
Our research and ongoing communication with our community has given us insight into how you can create better resources and activities.
Steps to creating better resources
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Keep video workouts short, fun and engaging, averaging 20-25 minutes. This allows people to take part more flexibility depending on their needs.
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Communicate what’s available regularly, as it allows people to plan ahead and build healthy routines. Our research highlighted that many didn’t use resources because they didn’t know about them or they weren’t suitable for their condition.
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Provide the ability to start/stop a session and be easily accessible are some things Disabled people find useful in a physical activity resource.
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Disabled people want to see a mix of Disabled and non-Disabled instructors and for videos to be accessible to those with and without impairment.
Next Steps
We want to hear from you!
We’d love for you to share your experiences of getting active and having fun wherever you are. Please do get in touch to share your thoughts on the latest news or what sport and physical activity mean to you.
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