Reflexivity And Change In Adaptive Physical Activity

"This provocative and challenging book argues for the vital importance of critical self-reflexion in the field of adaptive physical activity (APA). It makes a powerful case for embracing discussions of the harm caused by ableist assumptions of the ideal body, maximizing capabilities and perfecting normative based movement that dominate contemporary discourse in APA, and calls for more critical introspection about what APA is, how it's performed, and what might be needed to bring a collaborative relational ethic to this field. The book focuses on two key themes. Firstly, how ableism as a foundational belief system of APA is present in the undergraduate curriculum, professional preparation, professional practice, and organizational policies. Secondly, how to make the comfortable uncomfortable by openly debating the harm that results from non-reflexive (nondisabled) hubris in APA. The goal is to spark an exchange of ideas among scholars, practitioners and organizational leaders, and therefore to shift the paradigm from one of professional expertism to one that centers disability wisdom holders, bringing a fundamental change to how we perform adaptive physical activity. This is important, progressive reading for anybody with an interest in adapted physical activity, adapted physical education, disability sport, inclusive education, the philosophy and ethics of disability and sport, or disability in wider society"--

This provocative and challenging book argues for the vital importance of critical self-reflexion in the field of adaptive physical activity (APA). It makes a powerful case for embracing discussions of the harm caused by ableist assumptions of the ideal body, maximizing capabilities and perfecting normative-based movement that dominate contemporary discourse in APA, and calls for more critical introspection about what APA is, how it is performed, and what might be needed to bring a collaborative relational ethic to this field. The book focuses on two key themes. Firstly, how ableism as a foundational belief system of APA is present in the undergraduate curriculum, professional preparation, professional practice, and organizational policies. Secondly, how to make the comfortable uncomfortable by openly debating the harm that results from non-reflexive (nondisabled) hubris in APA. The goal is to spark an exchange of ideas among scholars, practitioners, and organizational leaders and therefore to shift the paradigm from one of professional expertism to one that centres disability wisdom holders, bringing a fundamental change to how we perform adaptive physical activity. This book is important, progressive reading for anybody with an interest in adaptive physical activity, adapted physical education, disability sport, inclusive education, the philosophy and ethics of disability and sport, or disability in wider society.

Marking a new direction for disability sport scholarship, this book explores cutting-edge issues and engages creatively with contemporary approaches to research in this important emerging discipline. Featuring contributions from leading and up-and-coming scholars around the world, the book’s wide-ranging chapters offer novel perspectives on the relationship between theory, method, and empiricism in disability sport research and highlight how researchers can be both innovative and informed when entering the field. It also explores methodological considerations when conducting disability sport research, including social, cultural, and political reflections of the research process from disabled and non-disabled academics. This much-needed resource supports disability sport scholars in developing a conceptual grounding in the subject and establishes a space for intersectional accounts of sport and physical activity which challenge homogenous understandings of disability. This book is essential reading for any student or researcher working in disability sport, adapted physical activity, or adapted physical education, and a valuable reference for anybody with an interest in the sociology of sport, disability studies, cultural studies, the body, or research methodology.

This book explores the intersection of gender and disability in the context of tourism. In part, the book foregrounds feminist theorising of intersectionality by examining how gender can overlap with other social identities to contribute to more systemic oppression, domination, discrimination, and marginalisation of certain categories of people. Our point of departure is that disability does not operate in isolation as it is constituted and experienced within an already gendered social and tourism environment. With substantial research on the intersection of gender and tourism on the one hand, and the intersection of disability and tourism on the other hand, the interconnectedness of gender and disability and the implications this has on tourism policy and practice remains understudied. Thus, the book provides a critical lens that helps unpack underlying assumptions about gender and disability while questioning the dominant ideas about gender and disability reproduced through tourism policies and institutional practices in an African context. This book will be of interest to scholars and researchers in Gender Studies, Disability Studies, and Tourism Studies, particularly those with a research interest in Africa.

This book brings together academic work on Special Olympics and specifically on the social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in various sport contexts and other areas of life, by ways of both empirical research and theoretically informed papers. Inclusion in sport is a topic that is mostly explored in connection with the participation of people with disabilities in general. In public debates on inclusion and sport in the global society, participation is predominantly discussed in a normative way, e.g., in connection with the campaign The Revolution is Inclusion by Special Olympics, describing it as an “all-out effort to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities”. With this international collection, the authors seek to contribute to an interdisciplinary understanding of Special Olympics in Context of Inclusion Debates and establish a foundation for future scholarship. The chapters in this book can contribute to a new research agenda on Special Olympics, particularly participatory approaches. The chapters in this book were originally published in Sport in Society.

Offering the most comprehensive coverage available and broadening the audience scope to include students majoring in exercise science or coaching who are preparing for nonteaching positions, this new edition features a lifespan, cross-disciplinary approach valuable for both teaching and non-teaching professionals. Adapted Physical Activity, Recreation, and Sport emphasizes attitude change, inclusion, and psychosocial perspectives for understanding individual differences.

Inclusive Physical Activity: A Lifetime of Opportunitiesprovides practitioners with practical strategies and hands-on applications for physical activity programming to include all people. In doing so, it bridges the gap between school-based and community-based programs to help people with differences in ability become and remain physically active throughout their lives. This book has many unique features in addition to the life-span approach. The authors use an ability-based, noncategorical approach that is on the cutting edge. In doing so, they maintain a program emphasis on performance and skill components rather than on labels and general disability guidelines. The authors recognize that knowledge of common conditions is necessary for safe program design and have therefore included this information in the appendix. This book prepares practitioners to do the following: -Become critical thinkers and problem solvers as they develop the knowledge and skills to provide meaningful, inclusive physical activity -Prepare and plan individualized physical activity programs for four major content areas: movement skills and sports, games design, health-related fitness, and adventure and outdoor recreation -Develop strategies and techniques to increase awareness of varying abilities, foster more positive attitudes of peers, and increase advocacy efforts aimed at inclusive physical activity -Overcome barriers associated with inclusive programming Throughout, the authors emphasize how to modify instruction and provide activity alternatives for differing abilities via their FAMME (functional approach to modifying movement experiences) model. This unique model provides a conceptual framework and a four-step process for accommodating all participants in physical activity. Assessment considerations across the life span are integrated in the planning process, and each skill component (such as eye-hand coordination, strength, attention span) is presented in chart form with information on influencing factors and a number of effective modifications to accommodate varied skill levels. Each chapter features the following reader-friendly sections: -Including All Individuals presents opening scenarios that set the stage for the topics in the chapter. -Did You Know? contains helpful facts and information. -Think Back is a list of reflection questions related to the opening scenario or to the previous text. -What Do You Think? contains reflective questions related to the chapter content. -What Would You Do? offers two sample scenarios at the end of each chapter detailing situations for readers to address. Part Iaddresses historical and sociological aspects of inclusive physical activity and the changing perspectives as they relate to individuals with differences in ability. Strategies to overcome barriers associated with inclusive programming are also discussed. Part IIfocuses on how, when, and why practitioners should make modifications in instructional settings. This section offers insight into effective collaborative partnerships, determination of programming focus and related assessment, and individualized program planning. Part IIIillustrates examples of inclusive practices as they relate to commonly implemented physical activities. This part focuses on modifying instruction and providing activity alternatives in four major content areas: movement skills and sports, games design, health-related fitness, and adventure and outdoor recreation. Among the appendixes is a Person-Related Factors Reference Guide that presents definitions of specific conditions, selected facts of the common conditions and general considerations and contraindications as they relate to physical activity participation. Inclusive Physical Activity: A Lifetime of Opportunitiesprogresses from understanding the profession and professional responsibilities to practical strategies for programming. This book is based on the philosophy that all people, with all their distinctive abilities and interests, can and should benefit from participation in physical activity. This involvement should be lifelong, empowering, and inclusive of the range of possible programs, settings, and activities available to everyone.

This handbook represents the first comprehensive and evidence-based review of theory, research, and practice in the field of adapted physical education (APE). Exploring philosophical and foundational aspects of APE, the book outlines the main conceptual frameworks informing research and teaching in this area, and presents important material that will help shape best practice and future research. Written by world-leading researchers, the book introduces the key themes in APE, such as historical perspectives on disability, disability and the law, language, and measurement. It examines the most significant theoretical frameworks for understanding APE, from embodiment and social cognitive theory to occupational socialization, and surveys current debates and practical issues in APE, such as teacher training, the use of technology, and physical inactivity and health. Acknowledging the importance of the voices of children, parents and peers, the book also explores research methods and paradigms in APE, with each chapter including directions for further research. Offering an unprecedented wealth of material, the Routledge Handbook of Adapted Physical Education is an essential reference for advanced students, researchers and scholars working in APE, and useful reading for anybody with an interest in disability, physical education, sports coaching, movement science or youth sport.