This is an access report on physical activity and recreation from Canadians experiencing disabilities.
To better understand how people with disabilities (PWD) were affected throughout the COVID pandemic, including their physical activity experiences, the ALACD reached out to PWD from across the country. Following these focus group discussions, many barriers were shared, and we identified these common themes, which are particularly relevant as we focus on rebuilding community connections: training needs within organizations, peer mentorship to address individual factors, and a critical emphasis on community accessibility. The pandemic further highlighted these barriers and emphasized the importance of consulting with PWD during every guideline, policy, or initiative that takes place. The focus group discussions also revealed many possible solutions to these issues and illustrated the importance of physical activity in the lives of Canadians with disabilities. We hope these findings will support ALACD’s work in the future and spark other organizations to consider how to get more PWD active.
