The situation in Canada
Approximately 14% of Canadians have a sensory, intellectual or physical disability, and some of these persons may have more than one disability. Canada has been recognized for achieving outstanding success in Paralympic sport, Special Olympics, Deaflympics, and other sports for athletes with disabilities, but there are concerns that systemic factors continue to limit access to sport and physical activity for persons with disabilities. There are also concerns that Canada’s pool of high-performance athletes is not being replenished as our current athletes age. As such, we need to continue to drive the training and support for inclusive programming from grassroots through to high performance.
How Physical Literacy helps People with Disabilities
The Sport for Life No Accidental Champions resource describes some of the opportunities and challenges that face persons with permanent disabilities in pursuing sport and physical activity, and how the Canadian sport system can best accommodate their needs for increased activity and greater. Not all individuals with a disability will pursue activity or sport; however, this should not exclude them from opportunities to learn fundamental movement skills, fundamental sport skills, and become active for life. As such, our initiatives continue to drive the awareness, first involvements, training, and support for inclusive programming from grassroots through to high performance.