Determinants of Participation in Sport and Physical Activity for Students with Disabilities According to Teachers and School-based Practitioners Specialized in Recreational and Competitive Physical Activity

Abstract Because youth with disabilities participate less in physical activity than young people without disabilities and that schools play an important role in adopting a healthy lifestyle, it is important to deepen our understanding of the elements that foster participation of young people with disabilities in physical activity. The objective of this research is twofold: 1) establish the determinants of participation of youth with disabilities in physical education according to practitioners and 2) document the effects of an initiation and competition program for youth with disabilities on their physical activity. The collection of data using semi-structured interviews was conducted in two phases. The first, among teachers and school-based practitioners (n = 18), aimed to understand their experiences relating to the adoption of healthy lifestyles among their students with disabilities. As for the second, practitioners (n = 12) were interviewed during organized adapted sporting events. Analysis of the interviews shows two categories of determinants, namely determinants relating to school (winning conditions of the environment, the importance of extracurricular activities, and obstacles) as well as determinants relating to the professional competence of teachers (the role of teachers, collaboration between professionals, the benefits of sport and physical activity and obstacles encountered).