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Leveraging Parasport Events for Sustainable Community Participation Prof. Gayle McPherson & Prof David McGillivray 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

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Presentation (with Professor Gayle McPherson) to the Scottish Government's Cross Party Group on Colleges and Universities focused on the 'Contribution of Scotland’s Colleges and Universities to the Success of the XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow '.

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Page 1: Leveraging Parasport Events for Sustainable Community Participation

Leveraging Parasport Events for Sustainable Community

Participation

Prof. Gayle McPherson & Prof David McGillivray

Laura Misener, Western University

David Legg, Mount Royal University

Gayle McPherson & David McGillivray, University of the West of Scotland

Page 2: Leveraging Parasport Events for Sustainable Community Participation

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

Page 3: Leveraging Parasport Events for Sustainable Community Participation

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

Page 4: Leveraging Parasport Events for Sustainable Community Participation

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

Page 5: Leveraging Parasport Events for Sustainable Community Participation

Research Methodology – G2014Type of Evidence Year of Data

CollectionPre/during/post

Example Glasgow 2014

Documentation 2013-14 Pre Bid DocumentGlasgow City Council/Scottish Legacy Framework, SDS Social Inclusion Model

Physical Artifacts 2013-14 Pre/during Media ReportsMarketing 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/post

Adapted Scale of Attitudes towards Disabled Persons (SADP)Glasgow Household Survey900 spectator surveys2878 volunteer surveys (pre-training)

Page 6: Leveraging Parasport Events for Sustainable Community Participation

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)

Page 7: Leveraging Parasport Events for Sustainable Community Participation

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)

Page 8: Leveraging Parasport Events for Sustainable Community Participation

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

Page 9: Leveraging Parasport Events for Sustainable Community Participation

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

Page 10: Leveraging Parasport Events for Sustainable Community Participation

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)