Disability inclusion scenario

A young female wheelchair user prepares to shoot a basketball as a fellow player watches on.

The following scenario is designed to challenge and develop your thinking when it comes to creating positive and safe spaces for disabled people to get active.

Under the Equality Act 2010, disability is defined as a ‘physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative impact on people’s ability to do normal daily activities’. This includes physical, sensory, intellectual, social, behavioural and mental health conditions or impairments.

By working through this scenario, you can gain a better understanding of how to respond to and meet the needs of disabled people.

This scenario also encourages community organisations to consider the social model of disability, which empowers disabled people and encourages non-disabled people and organisation to be more inclusive.

The scenario has been constructed to reflect situations that you might encounter; any names or organisations used are fictional to aid your understanding.

The sport or activities referenced throughout this scenario are also provided for context and aren’t intended to reflect the approach taken or promoted by any national governing bodies of sport.

We recognise that disabled people and those living with long-term health conditions have different needs and face individual challenges and barriers to being active. Individuals can also have additional needs or experience further challenges or barriers if they’ve one or more protected characteristic (a term often referred to as intersectionality).

While this scenario focuses on an individual with physical disabilities, it's been designed to provide some key takeaways and considerations that can be transferrable and help your organisation become more inclusive to disabled people with facing any barriers or challenges.

This three-part scenario features Ben. Ben is 16 years old and has a physical disability. He has always enjoyed being active and is a keen sports fan. His favourite lesson at school is PE and outside of school, he regularly plays or watches sport with his parents.

Recently, Ben asked his parents if he can join a local football club, where some of his friends play. After being unable to contact the club, Ben’s dad agrees to take him to the next training session.

A disabled boy kicks a football in a sports hall as fellow players and parents watch on.

As you work through this scenario, consider how you would respond, then click on the dropdown to understand the impact of your response. Responses are not monitored; be honest in your approach to get the most out of this learning experience.

Ben’s excited to attend his first training session and arrives early with his dad. As Ben arrives, the club’s coaches notice that he has a physical disability and voice concerns among themselves about how his disability may affect his own and other team members’ experience.

Response 1

Before the session starts, the coaches tell Ben that the club isn’t suitable for him because of his disability. They believe he would benefit from attending a club specifically for disabled people, which is located a 30-minute drive away.
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Outcome

This response is dismissive of Ben’s abilities; it might make him feel as though he’s not welcome at the club and assumes he can’t participate because of his disability.

Without giving him the opportunity to join the session, it’s impossible to know what impact, if any, his disability will have on his own or other members' experiences.

While it’s positive that the club’s coaches are aware of a club specifically for disabled people, Ben may not want to join that club, as he doesn’t have any friends there and may be unable to attend due to the travel requirements.

This response could be viewed as discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.
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Response 2

The coaches speak with Ben and his dad before the session starts in front of the other participants. They learn more about his disability, how it might impact his participation and discuss any additional support needs. Only after speaking with them do they allow Ben to participate in the session.
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Outcome

While it's important to gather information about Ben’s disability to ensure he has a safe and enjoyable experience, discussing this in front of others puts him at risk of being singled out.

Ben might be uncomfortable discussing his needs in front of the other participants. He’s likely to feel more included if he can discuss his needs in advance of the session with the club’s coaches to ensure they can offer him a safe and inclusive space to take part.
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Response 3

As Ben arrives early, the coaches use this time to talk to Ben and his dad privately, to help determine his needs and any adaptions that need to be made to the session.

After speaking with them, the coaches let Ben participate in the session. Following the session, the coaches follow up with Ben and his dad to see how he found the session and to discuss any further adjustments that can be made to support his ongoing participation in future sessions.

They also agree to pick up the issue of being unable to contact the club before attending the session with members of the club's committee.
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Outcome

This is the most inclusive response. Speaking to Ben and his dad before the session in private will help the coaches determine if any adjustments are needed to make the experience enjoyable for Ben and other team members, while not singling him out in front of others.

In addition, by proactively trying to resolve the contact issue, the club can put processes in place to ensure that information on future participants can be gained and, if required, adjustments can be made before they attend.

Taking time to understand individual needs, motivations and values is known as a person-centred approach.
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After speaking with Ben and his dad following the first session, the coaches made some small changes to their sessions to ensure Ben can participate fully and safely in all activities.

However, a few weeks later, the coaches notice that Ben is still finding some of their training drills difficult. They’re keen to support Ben as much as possible as they know how much he enjoys attending but aren’t sure how to approach this.

Response 1

The coaches decide to continue with the training drills as planned, as Ben and his dad haven’t raised any further concerns. They encourage him to keep up with the group or ask him to sit out of exercises if he can’t complete them.
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Outcome

This approach may leave Ben feeling unsupported and excluded. Ignoring the challenges he faces or asking him to sit out of certain drills could affect his confidence and make him feel like he isn’t good enough to attend.

Under the Equality Act 2010, community clubs have a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments to ensure their activities are as accessible as possible.
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Response 2

After Ben’s dad approaches them, to see how he is progressing, the coaches raise their concerns. They speak with him to learn more about Ben’s needs and how they can make all drills more inclusive and accessible for Ben.
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Outcome

Speaking with Ben’s dad may be helpful, but without including Ben (who is 16 years old) they risk excluding him from making or inputting into decisions that will impact his own experience.

Taking a person-centred approach and asking Ben how he feels and if any further adaptions are needed, which would help provide him with a positive experience.
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Response 3

After noticing Ben struggling, the coaches proactively speak to both Ben and his dad. After listening to what they say, they adapt training drills, allowing him more time to complete activities and they offer further reassurance that he’s doing well.

Moving forward, the coaches agree to regularly check in with Ben and his dad to see if any further adaptations are required.
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Outcome

This approach will help ensure that Ben feels listened to, valued and that his needs are being met. Making small adjustments to training sessions and regularly checking in with Ben can help to ensure he feels fully supported and included.

This approach may also encourage others with any additional needs to speak up and voice their needs with confidence.
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Ben has settled in well to the club and would like to start playing matches against other teams. However, the facilities used for matches are different to those used for training and there are a few issues with how accessible these facilities are.

The changing facilities are only accessible via steps, which Ben finds difficult to navigate on his own, and the accessible toilets are used for storage. Ben and his dad raise these concerns with the club’s coaches.

Response 1

The club’s coaches agree to remove the equipment that is stored in the accessible toilet and suggest that they or Ben’s dad help him to access the changing facilities when needed.
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Outcome

This response only addresses part of the issue. While it's positive that the accessible toilet can now be used, Ben will still struggle to access the changing and toilet facilities because of the steps.

By asking for help, Ben may feel as though he has lost some of his independence and may struggle if his dad or a coach is not available. Creating accessible facilities can help to reduce barriers to participation and create a more inclusive environment.
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Response 2

The club aims to improve accessibility by clearing out the accessible toilet and purchasing a portable ramp, allowing Ben to access the changing facilities when needed. However, the ramp is kept by one of the club’s coaches and needs to be put in position before being used.
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Outcome

Clearing the accessible toilet and providing a portable ramp would enable Ben to access the changing and toilet facilities.

However, by not permanently storing the ramp at the facility, it may mean it’s not always available should the coach not be in attendance. Ben will also require support to set the ramp up before he can use it.
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Response 3

After they clear the toilet and purchase a portable ramp as a short-term solution, the club’s coaches work with other volunteers and the facility provider to apply for funding to install a permanent ramp.

They also reach out to local organisations that support disabled people and invite them to attend a match to help identify other changes that can be made to ensure the facilities are as accessible as possible.
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Outcome

This response demonstrates to Ben that he’s welcome at games and the club are supportive of his needs by proactively looking for a permanent solution to address the barriers that exist.

Reaching out to other organisations to understand further improvements shows a commitment to providing accessible facilities and may help the club to attract more disabled people and help the wider community.
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There are many different ways in which disabled people or those with long-term health conditions may need additional support.

This scenario may help you to explore some options, for other scenarios you might face in your organisation. Remember:

asking questions and listening is the best way to understand the needs of your disabled members or volunteers
not all disabilities are visible; try not to make assumptions
working in collaboration with other people can be beneficial to make lasting changes, especially when it comes to developing accessible facilities or making reasonable adjustments
treat people with respect and dignity; discrimination is against the law.

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Disability inclusion scenario

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Disability inclusion scenario

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