The document discusses the potential of parasport events to enhance community participation and change attitudes towards disability, referencing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It examines the Glasgow 2014 and Parapan American Games 2015 cases, highlighting their achievements in accessibility and inclusion, while noting the lack of empirical evidence supporting long-term social legacies for disabled individuals. The research aims to fill this gap by analyzing social legacy strategies and community attitudes towards disability associated with these events.

1. Laura Misener,
Western University
David Legg,
Mount Royal University
Gayle McPherson & David
McGillivray, University of
the West of Scotland
Leveraging Parasport Events for
Sustainable Community
Participation
Prof. Gayle McPherson
& Prof David McGillivray

2. Research context
 Article 30 of UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with a Disability
states that persons with a disability should have the right to participate
on an equal basis in community life including recreational, leisure and
sporting activities (UN, 2009)
 But barriers include need for assistance, inaccessible facilities and
transportation, the need for specialized equipment, and community
attitudinal misperceptions about disability (HRSDC, 2010; WHO, 2011)
 Hosting sporting events can offer an opportunity to:
 access scarce resources to create more accessible infrastructure (e.g.
sport and recreation facilities, transportation)
 increase supportive services (i.e. coaching, volunteers, programs)
 gain access to specialized equipment, and
 potentially change attitudes about disability (Sherry et al., 2011)
 However, little empirical evidence exists supporting these claims (Darcy
& Appleby, 2011) and our project seeks to address this gap

3. Research aim & objectives
Research Aim:
 To examine how the hosting of different forms of sport events for
persons with a disability are being leveraged to create opportunities for
community participation, and influence community attitudes towards
disability
Research Objectives:
 Compare and contrast social legacy tactics, strategies, and programmes
 Analyze spectator, volunteer, and community members’ attitudes and
awareness of disability
 Develop framework for leveraging parasport events to benefit
community participation opportunities, and influence attitudes

4. Glasgow 2014 & Parapan Am Games 2015
➺July 23-Aug 3, 2014
➺Glasgow, Scotland
➺5 parasports, 22 parasport medal events
➺Athletics, Swimming, Powerlifting, Lawn Bowls
and Track Cycling
➺Parasport athletes integrated
➺Legacy planning as a general process
➺Aug 7 – Aug 14, 2015
➺Toronto, Canada
➺15 parasport events
➺Parasport athletes separated by time and space
➺Legacy planning separate for Pan and Parapan Games

5. Research Methodology – G2014
Type of Evidence Year of Data
Collection
Pre/during/po
st
Example Glasgow 2014
Documentation 2013-14 Pre Bid Document
Glasgow City Council/Scottish Legacy
Framework, SDS Social Inclusion Model
Physical Artifacts 2013-14 Pre/during Media Reports
Marketing and Promotional Materials
(Brochures, posters)
Social media sentiment
Direct Observation 2014 During Observation of 5 Glasgow 2014 sport venues
and 3 live zones
Semi-Structured Interviews 2013-14 Pre/post CEO, Glasgow 2014; Mgr of Accessibility
G2014; Transport Scotland; CGS; Head of
Engagement & Legacy G2014 etc
Surveys w/ volunteers &
spectators & general public
pre/post post Games
2014-15 Pr/during/po
st
Adapted Scale of Attitudes towards Disabled
Persons (SADP)
Glasgow Household Survey
900 spectator surveys
2878 volunteer surveys (pre-training)

6. Headline findings: Physical accessibility
 Games venue accessibility exemplary –
exceeding international standards in
many cases (seating 1.5 times IPC)
 Games-time experience of integrated
events a great success: sensitive
programming, explanation of
classifications, knowledegable audiences
 Travel and transport adequate – though
pre-Games concern
 Permanent improvements to some venues
– planned legacies (e.g. Hampden Park)
 ‘Hope’ that the physical accessibility of the
venues…may encourage people to come
along and go to these places again
(Accessibility & Inclusion Mgr, G2014)

7. Headline findings: Games delivery
 Emphasis on quantity and quality of parasport competition and time to
prepare (22 medal events)
 G2014 Ltd demonstrated ‘evangelic’ leadership in the sphere of
parasport and wider advocacy for disability issues:
 CEO & Head of Sport experienced & powerful advocates
 Designated policies, plans and training programme (including
volunteers) foregrounded accessibility, inclusion and equality – it’s just
the right thing to do (CEO, G2014)
 Appointment of Engagement & Legacy Officer, Accessibility &
Inclusion Manager (venues, transport, urban realm), Accessibility
Reference Group
 BUT, recognition of Games delivery responsibility and limits of legacy
expectations:
 We liquidate and wrap up the company in just a year’s time. We do
enable it (legacy), we do support it, we do feed the beast…so it’s
important that decisions we make have a direct impact on the success
(CEO, G2014)

8. Headline findings: Policy environment
 Scottish Government, through Education Scotland, has provided
Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) with £725,000 to deliver a Physical
Education Disability Inclusion Training programme giving up to 1000
teachers in Scottish schools the knowledge, skills and experience to
fully include disabled young people in quality PE and sports provision
by 2014, plus Legacy money Class2014 SS given 17 sports to support
coaches in Disability training SDS, targeted the 5 parasports.
 SDS are keen to ensure that the sport inclusion model from Scottish
Disability Sport is widely adopted and incorporated into relevant
continuing professional development for those working with young
people in sport
 Scottish Government provided £250,000 funding for recruitment of 8
Regional Managers for SDS across Scotland to develop enhanced
pathways, support local clubs and secure better monitoring/evaluation
data
 £6 million investment in dedicated parasport facility at Inverclyde

9. Headline Findings: Sustaining legacies
 The absence of ‘specific’, ‘identifiable’ and ‘resourced’ strategies,
tactics and programmes for persons with a disability beyond the
Games mitigates against securing social legacies:
 Need for clear plan for how ‘baton’ is handed over to national and local
agencies post-Games and how demonstration effect is sustained
 Crucial that knowledge transfer from Games experience is
embedded locally and nationally (e.g. secondments, debriefs,
dissemination) – currently only a CGF requirement
 G2014 provided role models & positive media coverage BUT choice
of parasports does not map easily onto host country sport
participation or development pathways
 Need for investment to address the ‘mundane’, ‘everyday’ barriers
to sustained community participation:
 Pathways, coaching, transport, pricing, equipment

10. Next steps and future plans
 Triangulation of datasets (quantitative and qualitative)
 Follow up empirical work in Glasgow/Scotland:
 Volunteer survey - October 2014
 Repeat GHS – March 2015
 Follow up strategic interviews – April 2015
 Accessibility audit of Games facilities – May 2015
 Move on to Parapan American Games in Toronto 2015
BUT
 Need for longitudinal work to assess increases in
participation by, and for, those persons with a disability
 Volunteer legacy: for persons with a disability (HCV)