Impact of current sport and recreation policy in South Africa on the provision of sport and recreation opportunities for persons with disabilities in marginalised communities

Abstract

Research has shown that participation in sport and recreation is beneficial in numerous ways. Some of these benefits include physical and health benefits; behavioural and social benefits; cognitive benefits and psychological benefits. However, barriers to physical activity participation for persons with disabilities exist. Sustainable sport and recreation interventions have the potential to address and eliminate various barriers to physical activity participation for persons with disabilities. Current service provision approaches for persons with disabilities in Tshwane focus on individual treatment of disabilities and excludes most disabled individuals. Expanding individual intervention to community intervention will ensure the inclusion in physical activity participation in marginalised communities such as Mamelodi. A great number of potential participants are excluded from interventions as marginalised communities are at risk of fragmented interventions. The social and environmental context in middle and higher socioeconomic communities allow for participation as opposed to lower socioeconomic communities. South African policies associated with sport and recreation participation for persons with disabilities do not allow for continuous participation in sport and recreation intervention programs as it is inadequate and is not applied in marginalised communities like Mamelodi. The overall aim of the study was to evaluate sport and recreation service delivery for persons with disabilities in the marginalised community of Mamelodi using a socio ecological approach as a theoretical lens. This study utilised a qualitative approach to ask the research question: How can a socio ecological approach to sport and recreation service delivery for persons with disabilities in the marginalised community of Mamelodi assist in providing a more comprehensive application of policy? Results of the study included the limitation of sport and recreation participation opportunities for persons with disabilities present in marginalised communities such as Mamelodi. Despite the described inclusion of persons with disabilities in policies such as the National Sport and Recreation Plan (2012), sport and recreation participation opportunities remain nonexistent. The conclusion of the study confirmed that policies related to sport and recreation participation for persons with disabilities in South Africa are not implemented on community level despite its existence. The study concludes by recommending that the lack of sport and recreation service delivery for persons with disabilities can, and should, be addressed through the use of a socio ecological approach.

Afrikaans: Navorsing het getoon dat deelname aan sport en rekreasie op talle maniere voordelig is. Van hierdie voordele sluit in fisiese en gesondheidsvoordele; gedrags- en sosiale voordele; kognitiewe voordele en sielkundige voordele. Daar is egter hindernisse vir fisieke aktiwiteit deelname van persone met gestremdhede. Volhoubare sport- en rekreasie intervensies het die potensiaal om verskeie hindernisse vir fisieke aktiwiteitsdeelname vir persone met gestremdhede aan te spreek en uit te skakel. Huidige diensverskaffingsbenaderings vir persone met gestremdhede in Tshwane fokus op individuele behandeling van gestremdhede en sluit die meeste gestremde individue uit. Uitbreiding van individuele intervensies na gemeenskapsintervensie sal verseker dat insluiting in fisieke aktiwiteit deelname aan gemarginaliseerde gemeenskappe soos Mamelodi beskikbaar word. 'n Groot aantal potensiële deelnemers word van intervensies uitgesluit aangesien gemarginaliseerde gemeenskappe die risiko loop van gefragmenteerde intervensies. Die sosiale en omgewingskonteks in middel- en hoër sosio-ekonomiese gemeenskappe maak voorsiening vir deelname, anders as laer sosio-ekonomiese gemeenskappe. Suid-Afrikaanse beleid wat verband hou met sport- en rekreasie deelname vir persone met gestremdhede, maak nie voorsiening vir deurlopende deelname aan sport- en rekreasie-intervensieprogramme nie, aangesien die beleid onvoldoende is en nie in gemarginaliseerde gemeenskappe soos Mamelodi toegepas word nie. Die algemene doel van die studie was om sport- en rekreasie dienslewering vir persone met gestremdhede in die gemarginaliseerde gemeenskap van Mamelodi te evalueer deur 'n sosio-ekologiese benadering as teoretiese lens te gebruik. Hierdie studie het 'n kwalitatiewe benadering aangewend om die volgende navorsingsvraag te vra: Hoe kan 'n sosio-ekologiese benadering tot sport- en rekreasie dienslewering vir persone met gestremdhede in die gemarginaliseerde gemeenskap van Mamelodi help om 'n meer omvattende toepassing van beleid toe te pas? Uitslae van die studie sluit in die beperking van sport- en rekreasie-deelname geleenthede vir persone met gestremdhede wat in gemarginaliseerde gemeenskappe soos Mamelodi voorkom. Ten spyte van die omskrywing van persone met gestremdhede in beleide soos die Nasionale Sport- en Rekreasieplan (2012), bly sport- en rekreasie-deelname geleenthede onbestaanbaar. Die gevolgtrekking van die studie het bevestig dat beleide wat verband hou met sport- en rekreasie-deelname vir persone met gestremdhede in Suid-Afrika nie op gemeenskapsvlak geïmplementeer word ten spyte van sy bestaan nie. Die studie sluit af met die aanbeveling dat die gebrek aan sport- en rekreasie dienslewering vir persone met gestremdhede moet aangespreek word deur die gebruik van 'n sosio-ekologiese benadering.