Active Ex/Inclusion: Participation in Sport and Physical Activities Among Young Women with Physical Disabilities in China

Background and Purpose: Researchers have begun to explore the participation of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in sport and physical activities, identifying its barriers and facilitators, as well as its meaning for PWDs. However, few studies have looked at how disability intersects with gender to shape this process. Moreover, there is a lack on research on how PWDs’ participation in sport and physical activities is impacted not just by their immediate environment, but also by broader cultures, institutions, and policies, especially in non-Western contexts.

This paper helps to fill these gaps by examining the participation in sport and physical activities among young women with physical disabilities in China; how it are shaped by social, cultural, and policy factors; and how they in turn impact the women’s self-understanding, wellbeing, and social inclusion.

Methods: In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted remotely with seventeen young women (ages 21-35) with physical disabilities in China. Eleven of them had congenital impairments, and the rest had acquired impairments. Only one woman had attended special schools, while the rest had attended regular schools. Nine women had graduated from or were enrolled in post-secondary programs. Three women lived in rural areas, three were migrants to urban areas, and the rest had grown up in cities. Participants were recruited via announcements posted in online discussion groups of PWDs. Interviews were coded thematically following principles of grounded theory.

Findings: Our analysis shows that as children, the interviewees were seen by their parents as incapable and needing special care. A few parents supported their physical play, a few ignored it, but most parents demanded that they spend time doing rehabilitation exercises instead. In primary and secondary schools, most interviewees were not fully included in physical education (PE) classes, and they were only given passing scores for PE in the high school admission exams, which disadvantaged them and made them feel unfair. At universities, they were put in special healthcare classes instead of regular PE classes, which gave them basic knowledge of self-care but also segregated them and deprived them of choices.

As adults, most interviewees felt that their bodies were not attractive and should be corrected or hidden. They saw exercise as helpful for making friends, looking fitter, preventing physical decline, or improving emotional wellbeing. However, half of the interviewees were unable to exercise regularly, because gyms were physically or financially inaccessible, because rehabilitation exercises already took them much time, or because they lacked tailored guidance. Among the interviewees who exercised regularly, those who enjoyed it the most found company and inspirations from colleagues, friends, or other PWDs. A few even used this experience to advocate for body positivity and disability rights.

Conclusion and Implications: Findings highlight the importance of fighting ableism, ensuring accessibility, rethinking rehabilitation, providing personalized instructions, and building communities of support for including women with disabilities in sport and physical activities. By engaging multiple stakeholders in this systemic work, social workers can promote individual wellbeing and the development of a more active and inclusive society.