Exploring stakeholder perspectives on All Abilities Touch Football: Navigating the challenges, opportunities and feasibility of classification framework development

Background

All Abilities Touch Football provides individuals with intellectual and/or physical impairments the opportunity to participate in organised sport. However, the absence of a comprehensive framework to accommodate players with varying types and severities of impairments presents challenges for equitable participation and fairer competition. This study aimed to explore the broader challenges, opportunities and feasibility of implementing a classification framework for All Abilities Touch Football.

Methods

A mixed methods approach was employed, combining online surveys of players (n ​= ​23), parents/carers (n ​= ​23), coaches (n ​= ​20) with semi-structured interviews from national level coaches (n ​= ​4) involved with All Abilities Touch Football across Australia. Survey data were analysed using counts and percentages, while thematic analysis was applied to interview data.

Results

Survey and interview data revealed All Abilities Touch Football effectively promotes physical activity, social integration, and community engagement for individuals with disabilities. However, systemic challenges arise from managing the diverse abilities of players within the sport, with a lack of collaboration among stakeholders, inadequate educational initiatives, and limited resource allocation identified as major barriers to the sport's advancement.

Conclusion

These findings offer valuable insights into the complexities of disability sport programs, highlighting the need for targeted strategies to advance All Abilities Touch Football. They also lay the groundwork for future initiatives aimed at developing a more inclusive and structured approach to the sport's growth.