Creating Equal Opportunities for Children and Youth with Disabilities to Participate in Physical Education and Extracurricular Activities

Overview

Physical inactivity is high among many children. In 2009, less than 25% of youth participated in at least 60 minutes of physical activity on any of the previous seven days according to the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Research Digest reported that physical activity is 4.5 times lower for children and youth with disabilities than their peers without disabilities (Rimmer, 2008). The patterns of inactivity in childhood and adolescence track to higher rates of inactivity, obesity, and other health problems in adulthood. Among some young people with disabilities, the lower rates of physical activity may be related to the lack of physical capacity to perform certain activities and the lack of appropriate opportunities for physical activity and athletics.

Adults with disabilities report the barriers to health and fitness “include cost of memberships, lack of transportation to fitness centers, lack of information on available and accessible facilities and programs, lack of accessible exercise equipment that can be purchased for home use, and the perception that fitness facilities are unfriendly environments for those with a disability” (Rimmer, 2008, p. 3). The feelings related to lack of access and being unwelcomed reflect a continuation of behavioral and emotional patterns begun in childhood. Typically, children and youth with disabilities engage in very little school-based physical activity, less healthy after-school activity, and more sedentary amusements (Rimmer & Rowland, 2007).

A report by the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO-10-519) revealed that, despite legislation obligating states and schools to provide equal access, opportunities for physical activity are limited for children and youth with disabilities (GAO, 2010). This document is the initial response to the GAO recommendation that “the Secretary of Education facilitate information sharing among states and schools on ways to provide opportunities in [physical education] PE and extracurricular athletics to students with disabilities” (p. 32). The purposes of this document are to disseminate information on improving opportunities for children and youth to access PE and athletics and to refer the reader to sources of additional information regarding the inclusion of children and youth with disabilities in PE and athletic extracurricular activities. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the U.S. Department of Education (Department) is providing separate and additional guidance on the legal aspects of the provision of extracurricular athletic opportunities to students with disabilities to comply with the second recommendation by the GAO to the Department in its report.

This document includes an overview of the problem, suggestions to increase opportunities for children and youth to access PE and athletics, and three appendices. Appendix A includes references from the field, Appendix B includes an example of a State law that addresses equal opportunity to access PE and athletics, and Appendix C lists projects and collaborative efforts that address physical activity among people with disabilities and includes links to Department-funded projects preparing adapted physical education personnel.

FEDERAL LAWS

States and schools are required to provide equal opportunity to participate in physical education and extracurricular athletics by children and youth with and without disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires schools to provide a “free appropriate public education” in the “least restrictive environment.” The definition of “special education” in section 602(29) of the IDEA includes instruction in physical education. Therefore, for some students with disabilities instruction in physical education may be a part of the special education services prescribed in their individualized education program (IEP). Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (Title II) are federal civil rights laws that prohibit disability discrimination, including in public schools. Under Section 504, schools that receive Federal financial assistance must ensure that children and youth with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in the program or activity of the school, including extracurricular activities. Under Title II, public entities, including public schools, may not discriminate on the basis of disability in providing their services, programs, and activities.

OCR enforces Section 504 and Title II in the context of education. OCR investigates complaints of discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age pursuant to these and other laws. OCR collaborates with the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in supporting improved educational opportunities for children and youth with disabilities through policy guidance, technical assistance, and information dissemination.

IDEA defines a child with a disability as a child having one of the disabilities specified in section 602(3) of the IDEA who, by reason of the disability, needs special education and related services. The following categories of disability are included in the section 602(3) of the IDEA: developmental delay (only for children under the age of 9); intellectual disability (formerly known as mental retardation); hearing impairments including deafness; speech or language impairments; visual impairments including blindness; emotional disturbance; orthopedic impairments; autism; traumatic brain injury; other health impairments; and specific learning disabilities. Identification criteria are typically developed in state regulations based on the statutory definitions of the specified disability terms in 34 CFR §300.8(c). Some children meet the identification criteria for more than one disability, (e.g. deaf-blindness or multiple disabilities). In this document, the term “disabilities” refers to all categories of disability unless specifically noted. This inclusive meaning must inform the readers' understanding and interpretation of the document‟s suggestions, which are necessarily broad.¹

GUIDELINES FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008) recommend that children and youth have 60 minutes of physical activity of moderate and vigorous intensity daily in three types of activity—aerobic activities, muscle-strengthening activities, and bone-strengthening activities. The Guidelines include a brief mention of children and youth with disabilities (p. 19):

"Children and adolescents with disabilities are more likely to be inactive than those without disabilities. Youth with disabilities should work with their healthcare provider to understand the types and amounts of physical activity appropriate for them. When possible, children and adolescents with disabilities should meet the Guidelines. When young people are not able to participate in appropriate physical activities to meet the Guidelines, they should be as active as possible and avoid being inactive." 

In order to reduce the risk of injury, children and youth are advised to increase their physical activity gradually and to engage in a variety of exercise, sport, and recreation activities. ²  Increased physical activity increases motor skills, which in turn facilitate increased physical activity (Foley, 2010).

The trend of childhood obesity and inactivity is increasing the focus on physical activity among children (e.g. The First Lady's Let’s Move! campaign--information available at http://www.letsmove.gov/). Not only are inactivity and obesity even more prevalent among children with disabilities (Rimmer, 2008), inactivity and obesity can be more problematic for children and youth with disabilities because they can lead to and exacerbate secondary conditions associated with certain disabilities (Rimmer, Wang, Yamaki, & Davis, 2010).

LIMITATIONS IN OUR CURRENT KNOWLEDGE

There is limited understanding of how the research on children without disabilities can be translated into guidance for physical activity programs for children with disabilities (Fleming, 2010). In spite of the public's awareness of the risks of inactivity and obesity, there is limited research providing evidence of effective practices and approaches to increase physical activity, to reduce obesity, and to maintain health among children and youth with disabilities. The few findings of the research done in clinical settings have not been adequately translated for application to PE and athletic activities in school and community settings. As a result of the limited research in this area, states, schools, and educators are faced with the challenge of developing and implementing practices to increase the participation of children and youth with disabilities in PE and athletics without a strong base of research evidence.

Even with the limited research on effective practices, there is growing consensus in the research literature regarding several common barriers to physical activity for children and youth with disabilities. The barriers include inaccessible facilities and equipment (Auxter, Pyfer, Zittel, & Roth, 2010; Block, 2007; Rimmer, 2008; Rimmer & Rowland, 2007; Simeonsson, Carlson, Huntington, McMillen, & Brent, 2001; and Stanish, 2010); personnel without adequate training (Auxter, et al., 2010; Block, 2007; Rimmer & Rowland, 2007; and Stanish, 2010); and inadequate, non-compliant, or otherwise inaccessible programs and curricula (Auxter, et al., 2010; Block, 2007; Porretta, 2010; Rimmer, 2008; Rimmer & Rowland, 2007; Simeonsson, et al., 2001; and Stanish, 2010). The research base and professional opinion support the following suggestions for improving opportunities for children and youth with disabilities to participate in PE and athletic activity.