BREAKING BARRIERS

Comprehensive new analysis by Activity Alliance has revealed regional and demographic disparities in disabled people’s experiences with sports and physical activity across England

Only half (51%) of disabled people across the country feel they have the opportunity to be active. Yet, there is clear demand for opportunities, with 80% of disabled respondents expressing a wish to be more active. There are also significant regional differences to disabled people’s experiences of physical activity, while the type of disability and other demographic factors also play a big part.

The insights come from disability sports charity, Activity Alliance, which published the latest findings from its Annual Disability and Activity Survey in August 2025. Drawing from five years of data, the survey’s Secondary Analysis provides vital insights into the barriers disabled people face when it comes to being active.

Gathering data

The latest data and insights from the survey explores the regional differences in disabled people’s lived experiences of being physically active, as well as the demographic influences on sport and physical activity. A total of 10,411 people were surveyed between 2019 and 2024 for the report, including 5,113 disabled and 5,298 non-disabled respondents.

Each year, the survey is completed by different participants from Sport England’s Active Lives Survey and a pooled representative sample from research agency IFF, providing a comparable dataset rather than tracking the same individuals over time. The data was then analysed and compiled in two separate reports – a Demographic Report and Regional Report. Values are reported as percentage points (pp). This means the difference between two percentages e.g. a value of 20% compared to 5% is a difference of 15 percentage points.

Demographic differences

For the report, Activity Alliance worked with Rose Fawcett, a data analyst, to explore what demographic factors – such as ethnicity, socioeconomic status and impairment – are most associated with positive or negative experiences in sports and activities among disabled and non-disabled people. Another aspect analysed was to see which demographic factors are most associated with disabled people’s perceptions of representation in participation, employment and volunteering in sport and physical activity.

Among the key findings is that impairment type influences disabled people’s opportunity to be active. For an example, disabled people with mental health problems are 13.6pp less likely to have the opportunity to be active, when compared to other disabled people without a mental health problem.

Similarly, disabled people with long-term pain or a mobility impairment are 9pp and 8.6pp less likely to have the opportunity to be active compared to other disabled people. Those with breathing or stamina impairments, or a dexterity impairment, are only 4.3pp and 3.1pp less likely to have the opportunity to be active than other disabled people without these impairments, respectively.

Age is another factor associated with people’s opportunity to be active. Disabled and non-disabled adults aged 65+ are 8.2pp and 12.7pp more likely to have the opportunity to be active than disabled and non-disabled people aged 35-64 respectively. At the same time, disabled people aged 16-34 are 6.8pp more likely to have the opportunity to be active than other disabled people aged 35-64.

Impairment type also influences disabled people’s desires to do more activity. While those with a mental health problem are 9.8pp more likely to say they would like to do more activity – compared to disabled people without a mental health problem – those with a social or behavioural impairment and a visual impairment are 5.5pp and 5.6pp less likely to say they would like to do more physical activity.

Only half of disabled people feel they have the opportunity to be active – yet 80% want to do more

“For disabled people, factors most attributed with having negative experiences in sport and physical activity are having a mental health problem, being female, or having a mobility impairment,” the report states. “In contrast, factors most attributed with having positive experiences in sport and physical activity are younger disabled people aged between 16-34, older disabled people aged 65+ or having a speech impairment.

“Social grade is another factor which impacts disabled people’s perception of participating in sport and activity. Disabled people in a lower social grade are 6.7pp less likely to see themselves participating in sport and activity, whereas disabled people in higher social grades are 9.1pp more likely to see themselves participating in activity compared to disabled people in medium social grades.

“Meanwhile, ethnically diverse disabled people are 9.4pp more likely to see themselves participating in sport and activity compared with white disabled people.”

Regional variations

The report found no regional differences in opportunities to be physically active – half (51%) of disabled people across all regions feel they have the opportunity to be as active as they want.

However, disabled people in Scotland, the East Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber are more likely to enjoy physical activity, while those in the West Midlands are less likely to say they enjoy being active.

There were also regional variations in the way people looked for advice and information on physical activity. For example, disabled people in the West Midlands are less likely to go to healthcare professionals for advice on being active than any other region. The data also shows that disabled people in the North East (42%) and Scotland (43%) are more likely to look for information at sports, leisure and community organisations, while those in Northern Ireland (31%), East of England (33%), West Midlands (34%) and London (35%) are less likely to use these sources.

Recommendations

Activity Alliance intends to use the insight from the reports to support its work to ensure that sports and activities meet disabled people’s needs in all regions across the UK. It also hopes for the recommendations to extend to the wider sport and activity sector.

The three recommendations are to: ● Use the insight to explore the local barriers and opportunities ● Further develop intersectional insight and learning ● Equip health and social care workers and ensure online activity information is relevant.

For a more detailed look at the recommendations, see page opposite...

The three recommendations to bring down barriers and to help disabled people get more physically active

Use the report’s insight and learning across regions and place

Activity Alliance will use the insight in its work at a regional level, working with partners to advocate for disabled people and address barriers to being active. Partners and organisations in different regions should also use the insight to explore the local barriers and opportunities that may influence disabled people’s experiences of enjoyment and want to be more active in their respective areas. Organisations should work with Activity Alliance and together across regions to share best practices and develop insight that underpins disabled people’s experiences at a local level.

Develop intersectional insight and learning

Activity Alliance will share findings with its partners to continue to address gaps in the knowledge base. It will also work across regions to listen to the needs of disabled people and organisations to ensure that the insight it gathers adds value to the sector, resonates with disabled people’s experiences and creates lasting impact in their local areas. Organisations in all regions should work with other committed partners across the sport and activity sector to adopt the insights to address inequalities. Where possible, partners should collaborate with Activity Alliance to further explore disabled people’s experiences in sport and activity in their local areas, with a clear focus on demographic factors that highlight stark inequalities.

Equip health and social care workers and ensure online activity information is relevant

Health and social care professionals are the most likely source of advice for disabled people looking for information on being active. Activity Alliance will share learning across regions of work that has effectively supported disabled people to access sport and activity opportunities.

Health and social care workers need to be equipped with better processes to support disabled people to use physical activity in ways which work best for them. Partners and other organisations, especially across the health and social care sector, must recognise the importance of their professions in being preferred sources of advice about physical activity for disabled people across regions and ensure they have the skills, resources and confidence to effectively promote sport and activity. Information about how and where to be active, especially online, must be relevant and kept up to date so disabled people know where to access local opportunities.