Sport should be considered an environment in which both disabled and non-disabled people can gain opportunity for participation, friendship, enjoyment and success, as well as develop other skills that will enhance many areas of daily life.
Increased fitness and mobility provides greater independence, health and general well-being.
To coach disabled people successfully, it is vital coaches and organisations adhere to the following guiding principles.
The right approach
- You need to get to know participants as people who enjoy sport, want to participate and have varying abilities – just the same as non-disabled people.
- Do not assume all disabled participants are beginners and remember that skills learned in one sport are often transferable to another.
- There is no need to understand or determine the cause of impairment. If this needs to be discussed, the individual will tell you.
- By planning and, perhaps, making minor adjustments to the way they work, coaches and volunteers can be more effective in their roles, which will benefit everyone, including disabled people.
- If anyone encounters difficulties communicating with a disabled person, they should tell the person that they do not understand and, together, work out the best way to communicate with one another.
- Coaches and volunteers should check with the participant about any support needs prior to the activity. It may help to get in contact with the relevant national charity for generic information and best practice.
- The more pre-planning you do, the more positive an experience the disabled person will have.