DRM
ADVERTORIAL
Where do disabled people fit in the Government’s new sport and movement strategy? Business Disability Forum’s Head of Policy Angela Matthews reflects on the possible chasm between movement and sport. By Angela Matthews, Head of Policy, Business Disability Forum
businessdisabilityforum.org.uk On Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: @DisabilitySmart. Search for Business Disability Forum on LinkedIn. Sport England recently published its ten-year strategy, titled “Uniting the Movement”. The strategy states: “We need to collectively reimagine how we keep movement, sport, and activity central to the lives of everyone.” I considered how ‘movement’ and ‘sport’ are so far apart for many people. I used to work in a movement clinic in the NHS where I would see people as part of their rehabilitation after an injury or illness. Their circumstances were diverse and could include being recently injured from having a life changing accident, having a heart attack or stroke, a ‘relapse’ with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), or the onset of Parkinson’s Disease. ‘Movement’ for many people who came into my clinic was often about learning how to use their body again, becoming aware of the movements they can do or re-learn to do, and learning to ‘trust’ the movements their body makes.
A successful movement ‘session’ often consisted of walking three to five metres aided by support bars, holding a large physio ball with both hands for five seconds, or sitting in a chair while raising arms up and down slowly. ‘Sport’, on the other hand, was so very far off at the point people entered my clinic and, for many, it would be that way for the rest of their lives. We find ourselves in a fitness-hungry world of competitive apps, being encouraged to exercise outside, and fitness technology that congratulates us when we meet a certain amount of steps in a day. But many people with disabilities and managing long-term conditions are living lives far from this level of activity. COVID has brought this into sharper focus. For disabled people lucky enough to find inclusive exercise classes, when lockdown came, many of those classes continued online. However, for many other people with disabilities or conditions, exercising alone is dangerous, particularly if living alone. Part of an inclusive exercise class for many is for a trained professional to be there if you fall or if you get into a position you cannot get out of.
The Sport England strategy team has committed to ensuring that “we all have everything we need to be active”, and they are
”
listening to what those things are. 20
DR M | S U M M E R - 2 0 21
disabilit yreviewmagazine.co.uk
