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Although the Paralympic Games have been around for over 60 years, women remain underrepresented in almost all aspects of the Paralympic Movement. It has been suggested that a way to increase women's involvement is through the implementation of mixed-gender events. On paper, this approach makes sense. However, when it comes to the implementation of mixed-gender opportunities for women, it is less clear how effective these events are in increasing participation by women in Para sport. Through document analysis and interviews with athletes and organizers of mixed-gender Paralympic sport, we explore the various strategies that four mixed-gender sports have used to address the issue of gender parity. Using critical feminist theories, we illustrate how larger social, political, and cultural ideas about gender influence women's experiences within these events and discuss the potential of using mixed-gender initiatives to address gender parity within the Paralympic Movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community-based exercise programs for persons with disabilities promote greater quantity of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) participation among their members, perhaps because of the quality experiences fostered by the program. This study aimed to explore the relationship between quality and quantity of physical activity participation in the context of community-based exercise programming and the role that gender plays in this relationship. Adults with physical disabilities (N = 91; Mage = 55, 49 men) from three community-based exercise programs across Canada completed a survey asking about quality participation (Measure of Experiential Aspects of Participation [MeEAP]) and LTPA. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationship between MeEAP scores and LTPA. Quality participation was not related to LTPA, even with gender included as a moderator. Men reported higher levels of LTPA and quality participation than women, highlighting gender differences that should be considered when researching and designing exercise programs for individuals with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although women have been a part of the Paralympic Movement since its inauguration, they remain underrepresented in almost all aspects of parasport. Noting these gender-based discrepancies, the International Paralympic Committee and several National Paralympic Committees have made commitments to address the issue of gender balance across the movement. Guided theoretically by feminist and disability sport scholarship, this article explores the various initiatives and strategies implemented by the International Paralympic Committee and National Paralympic Committees to address the issue of gender parity. Through 29 qualitative interviews with Paralympic athletes, organizers, academics, and journalists, our study illustrates that initiatives and strategies implemented by these organizations have affected women differently based on a range of social, cultural, and political factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article critically analyzed the enactment of disability-inclusive sport policies by provincial sporting organizations in British Columbia. Thirty semistructured interviews with managers representing 13 organizations informed the analysis. Findings highlighted how organizational circumstances prompted managers to enact integration policies in novel ways at the regional level. For instance, nondisabled sporting organizations mediated the adoption of integration policies due to the perceived impact on nondisabled programming. In contrast, disability sport organizations resisted integration out of concern that nondisabled organizations could not deliver programming to an equivalent standard. To thwart the perceived integration threat, disability sport organizations developed novel solutions, such as registering themselves as freestanding organizations. Discussion arises as to whether integration is the "gold standard" of inclusion in disability sport. Policy recommendations are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have extensively documented the issues in quantity and quality of media coverage of the Paralympic Games. The lack of coverage and stereotypical representations can be attributed to a variety of structural and cultural factors, notably including journalistic norms and values. This scholarly commentary proposes a reconsideration of journalistic values in order to argue that sports journalists have a professional responsibility to cover the Paralympics and issues of disability for at least three reasons: (a) The Paralympics are an elite-level, international sporting event and thus merit sport-focused coverage, (b) sport journalists have an ethical obligation to include diverse perspectives in reporting and to challenge stereotypes, and (c) sport is intertwined with social issues and requires contextualized reporting. The commentary concludes with recommendations for sport communication and journalism education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify the experiences, needs, and strengths of people with incomplete spinal cord injury who can ambulate and to explore and discuss potential supports, services, and programs that would best assist them in the community. In this qualitative descriptive study, interviews were the primary means of data collection. These were supplemented with descriptive standardized measures of function and life satisfaction. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Twenty-four participants were interviewed, their average age was 55 years and 46% were female. We identified three themes: 'I really couldn't go there', described the physical and social barriers experienced by participants, 'It'd be really nice to let the public know there are people out there like me' expressed the desire for greater social understanding of incomplete spinal cord injury, and 'I just don't quit', displayed the perseverance that participants demonstrated following their injury. Findings indicate service providers to improve the inclusion of ambulatory individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury in their programs. Suggestions include designing programs (community, healthcare, return to work, peer support), environments using the principles of universal design for people with incomplete spinal cord injury who ambulate, and increasing consideration of their perspectives. People with incomplete spinal cord injury who can ambulate live with invisible impairments, which are often not acknowledged by family, friends, health professionals, and people with complete spinal cord injury They may feel excluded from activities (organized by spinal cord injury associations) that were originally designed for people with complete spinal cord injury Greater awareness among health professionals, friends, family, and people with complete spinal cord injury of the needs of people with incomplete spinal cord injury who can ambulate is needed to increase their inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) experiences with and perceptions towards teleSCI services during the COVID-19 global pandemic in British Columbia, Canada. Using maximum variation sampling, we invited selected individuals from a larger quantitative dataset (n = 71) to partake in an interview. In total, 12 individuals participated in the study. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Interview transcripts were then coded and analysed by team members using qualitative descriptive analysis. Individuals with an SCI perceived teleSCI services to be convenient, accessible, affordable, and an effective way to access some healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in-person healthcare was still needed by many participants to effectively manage and treat their SCI-associated secondary conditions. Our findings suggest that, in a post-pandemic world, the SCI community would benefit from blended models of healthcare delivery that leverage telecommunication technologies to increase accessibility to healthcare while still providing in-person care for assessments and treatments. Individuals with an SCI perceived teleSCI services to be convenient, accessible, affordable, and an effective way to access some healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in-person healthcare was still needed and desired by those with an SCI to effectively manage and treat their SCI-associated secondary conditions. In a post-pandemic world, individuals with an SCI would benefit from blended models of healthcare delivery that leverage telecommunication technologies to increase accessibility to healthcare, while still providing in-person care for those requiring ongoing treatment and management of secondary conditions associated with the patient's SCI. TeleSCI services offer the potential to allow healthcare professionals and SCI specialists to collaborate (digitally) with patients at the same time. This patient-centered approach could not only help healthcare professionals strategize effective remedies to better manage secondary conditions associated with SCI but could result in overall better-quality care received by those within the SCI community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Outdoor physical activity (PA) contributes to the physical and mental health and well-being of individuals with a mobility impairment. However, individuals are commonly excluded from outdoor PA because of accessibility challenges. No reviews summarizing evidence on factors that facilitate/hinder participation and inclusion of individuals with mobility disabilities in adaptive outdoor PA were identified. This makes it challenging to establish the key components for implementing inclusive outdoor PA interventions. A scoping review was conducted to identify barriers and facilitators to participation in adaptive outdoor PA and identify suggestions for adaptive outdoor PA design. Methods: A scoping review of qualitative and quantitative studies was conducted based on the methodological framework of Arksey and O'Malley with modifications by Levac. Barriers and facilitators were categorized into four levels based on a Social Ecological Model (SEM). Suggestions for interventions designed to overcome accessibility issues of outdoor PA were classified based on Universal Design (UD). Results: Thirty-seven factors regarding barriers and facilitators of outdoor adaptive PA were extracted from 19 studies published between 2002 and 2023. Barriers and facilitators were identified primarily in four levels of the SEM, including intrapersonal, social-environmental, physical-environmental, and policy-related. Eleven design suggestions were identified and categorized according to the seven principles of UD. This study identified gaps in the presented barriers and facilitators and the design suggestions of the included studies, mainly at the social and environmental level, such as a lack of innovation in program delivery and logistics. Conclusion: This study identified gaps in knowledge about facilitators and barriers to outdoor adaptive PA and in the design of interventions addressing them. Future research should focus on the strategies addressing these gaps by involving individuals with mobility disability in designing interventions to gain a better insight into their needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Purpose: To examine associations between subjective quality of life and other socio-demographic variables and to explore differences in experiences of people with different levels of quality of life (low, moderate, high). (2) Materials and methods: Semi-structured interviews and standardized measures of mobility, function, health-related quality-of-life, and quality-of-life were used to collect the data for this mixed-method study. (3) Results: Twenty-four participants were interviewed with an average age of 55 years and 54% were male. High quality of life, according to quantitative analysis, was strongly associated with being male, attending rehabilitation, and being married. The qualitative findings supported the quantitative findings and also revealed that people with a low quality of life felt the neighborhood-built environment was not supportive of people with incomplete spinal cord injury who can walk. Participants who reported a low/moderate quality of life reported feeling devalued by able-bodied people and that their mobility was getting worse over time. (4) Conclusion: Findings suggest that those with incomplete spinal cord injuries who can walk could benefit from improved quality of life by modifying their social support and neighborhood's built environment. For instance, sensitivity training for the general population could help to reduce negative attitudes and misperceptions about invisible impairments and promote inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of our study was to examine the perspectives of Olympic coaches and national performance directors regarding factors they felt influence athlete well-being (both positively and negatively), and to explore their perceived roles in contributing to the well-being of their athletes. Coaches (n ¼ 12) and national performance directors (n ¼ 12) participated in semi-structured interviews, that were subjected to reflexive thematic analysis. We adopted a critical interpretivist research paradigm for this study. The findings included three higher-order themes, each of which encompassed two lower-order themes. These higher-order themes included the relentless pursuit of results (i.e., lack of opportunities outside of sport, the focus on results as harmful), the influence of the coach (i.e., the coach as a relationship builder, the coach as a gatekeeper of well-being), and financial uncertainty (i.e., financial uncertainty of the program, financial uncertainty for the athlete). When taken together, the findings highlight that coaches and performance directors were often aware of threats to athlete well-being but were also uncertain how to support athlete well-being or of their role in potentially thwarting the well-being of their Olympic athletes. These findings are discussed within the broader context of the pervading culture of elite sport, and consideration for future research and knowledge mobilization [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Limited access to health care services and the self-isolation measures due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have had additional unintended negative effects, affecting the health of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Objectives: To examine the perceived influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals with SCI. First, this study looked to understand how the pandemic affected the use and perception of telehealth services for these individuals. Second, it investigated the effect of COVID-19 on mental health. Design: Cross-sectional online survey. Setting: Individuals with SCI living in the community in British Columbia, Canada. Patients: This survey was offered to individuals with SCI and had 71 respondents, with 34% living in a rural setting and 66% in an urban setting. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Telehealth utility, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7), Fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S), and Perceived Vulnerability to Disease (PVD). Results: Telehealth use in the SCI population has increased from 9.9% to 25.4% over the pandemic, with rates of telehealth use in urban centers nearing those of rural participants. Thirty-one percent of respondents had probable depression and 7.0% had probable generalized anxiety disorder as measured by a score of ≥10 on the PHQ-9 and GAD-7, respectively. The mean scores on FCV-19S and PVD were 17.0 (6.6 SD) and 4.29 (1.02 SD), respectively. Conclusion: Telehealth use during COVID-19 has more than doubled. It is generally well regarded by respondents, although only a fourth of the SCI population has reported its use. With this in mind, it is important to understand the barriers to further adoption. In addition, higher rates of probable depression were seen than those estimated by pre-pandemic studies in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from in-depth interviews with 36 women, aged 71 to 93, this manuscript examines older women's use of lipstick. The most ubiquitously used cosmetic by the women we interviewed, lipstick was a taken-for-granted practice in the women's performance of gender. In the women's youth, the performance of gender through lipstick usage was related to rebellion and peer acceptance. In contrast, the use of lipstick in later life was related to the maintenance of an attractive and respectable appearance. We discuss our findings in light of interpretative feminist theorizing concerning beauty work, doing gender, and the presentation of self. KEYWORDS older women, aging, beauty work, feminist theory, lipstick, makeup, presentation of self, qualitative methods

This paper demonstrates how a qualitative methodology can be used to gain novel insights into the demands of wheelchair racing and the impact of particular racing chair configurations on optimal sport performance via engagement with expert users (wheelchair racers, coaches, and manufacturers). We specifically explore how expert users understand how wheels, tires, and bearings impact sport performance and how they engage, implement, or reject evidence-based research pertaining to these components. We identify areas where participants perceive there to be an immediate need for more research especially pertaining to the ability to make individualized recommendations for athletes. The findings from this project speak to the value of a qualitative research design for capturing the embodied knowledge of expert users and also make suggestions for "next step" projects pertaining to wheels, tires, and bearings drawn directly from the comments of participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies indicate that head injuries account for a significant proportion of all surf-related injuries. Yet, despite these rates, the vast majority of surfers do not wear protective headgear. Noting both the high rate of head-related injuries and surfers' reluctance to wear protective headgear, this sociological study sought to critically explore surfers' perceptions and attitudes towards protective headgear, and specifically to explore why so few surfers wear protective headgear. To address these aims, the ethnographic techniques of participant observations and qualitative interviews were used. In total, 12 experienced surfers from the West Coast of Canada were interviewed and over 30 hours of participant observations were collected. The findings illustrate that surfers do not wear protective headgear for four main reasons: (1) due to the idea that protective headgear is uncomfortable and could hinder performance; (2) due to the perception that protective headgear is only for other surfers; (3) based on the belief that surfing is not a high-risk sport; and (4) because of aesthetic reasons and/or the appearance of protective headgear. Using the concepts of subcultural capital and edgework, the study demonstrates how larger socio (sub)cultural factors linked to risk, control, and status influence and underline the surfers' rationalizations for not wearing protective headgear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membership in social and physical activity groups has the potential to help people with a range of physical and mental health challenges. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of members of a unique physical activity group: people who were formerly or currently homeless participating in a street soccer program in Western Canada. Ten participants in the Vancouver Street Soccer League (VSSL) were interviewed about the extent to which this program fostered a sense of community, social connectivity, and quality of life among people with experience of homelessness. Interviews were augmented with a Social Identity Mapping activity and observations from the first author who took part in weekly practice with the VSSL for over a year. The data were analysed using thematic analysis, in which four themes were developed to reflect the findings. These included (1) Coming together through soccer, (2) Dynamics motivating continued involvement in the league, (3) Leaders and leadership: Social influence in the league, and (4) The league and health outcomes. The findings provide insight into how a street soccer program which fostered shared social identity, psychological safety, friendly competition, and social support contributed to the well-being of people impacted by homelessness, various traumas, and marginalisation. • We used social identity mapping and interviews with street soccer players who had experienced homelessness. • Involvement in street soccer was reported to foster shared social identity and contribute to the well-being of people impacted by homelessness. • There is a need to cultivate psychological safety within street soccer programs by integrating trauma-informed approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our understanding of handbike configuration is limited, yet it can be a key determinant of performance in handcycling. This study explored how 14 handcycling experts (elite handcyclists, coaches, support staff, and manufacturers) perceived aspects of recumbent handbike configuration to impact upon endurance performance via semi-structured interviews. Optimising the handbike for comfort, stability, and power production was identified as key themes. Comfort and stability were identified to be the foundations of endurance performance and were primarily influenced by the seat, backrest, headrest, and their associated padding. Power production was determined by the relationship between the athletes' shoulder and abdomen and the trajectories of the handgrips, which were determined by the crank axis position, crank arm length, and handgrip width. Future studies should focus on quantifying the configuration of recumbent handbikes before determining the effects that crank arm length, handgrip width, and crank position have on endurance performance. Practitioner Summary: To gain a greater understanding of the impact of handbike configurations on endurance performance, the perceptions of expert handcyclists were explored qualitatively. Optimising the handbike for comfort and stability, primarily via backrest padding and power production, the position of the shoulders relative to handgrips and crank axis, were critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on interviews with 25 athletes with disabilities and para-sport participants (coaches, volunteers, and supporters), and on posts and comments made on a multi-authored blog discussing Paralympic sport, this article addresses how individuals advocate on behalf of disability sport. Our findings indicate that athletes and their allies adopt different styles of advocacy ranging in tone from more congenial (honey) to more confrontational (vinegar). In selecting what strategy to employ, advocates take into consideration their assessment of the perceived effectiveness of the strategy as well as the potential for backlash. We discuss our findings in light of Stake and Rosu’s definition of advocacy as a “fundamental act of human being” and within the context of the historically tumultuous relationship between disability rights advocacy and elite sport systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on data from in-depth interviews with 35 men and women aged 73–91, this article examines the ways in which older adults with multiple chronic conditions talk about and prepare for death and dying. While the focus of the original study did not include questions concerning the end-of-life, the majority of our participants made unprompted remarks regarding their own and others' mortality. The participants discussed the prevalence of death in their lives as it related to the passing of significant others, as well as their own eventual demise. Additionally, the men and women expressed hopes and fears about their impending death, in particular with respect to prolonged pain and suffering, institutionalisation, and a loss of mental acuity and independence. Many of our participants also described their end-of-life plans, which included making funeral arrangements, obtaining living wills, and planning their suicides. They further reported a number of barriers to their planning for death, including a lack of willingness on the part of family members to discuss their wishes as well as a scarcity of institutional resources and support. We discuss our findings in relation to the extant research concerning older adults' experiences of death and dying, as well as Glaser and Strauss' (1971) theory of status passage and Marshall's (1986) conceptualisation of authorship and the legitimation of death. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Sport media is a public pedagogy that impacts sportswomen’s embodied subjectivities by circulating gender ideologies and discourses as forms of truth. In this study we used relativist narrative inquiry to build on sport media research exploring socially constructed motherhood and sport. We interrogated ‘comeback meanings’ in sport media stories of four veteran (i.e. multiple Olympic Games appearances, 32–41 years of age) Canadian athletes’ journeys to the 2020 Olympics as first time mothers. Thematic narrative analysis of 86 stories and accompanying images identified two sets of comeback meanings: second chances and redemption and coming back stronger and wiser. Second chances and redemption comebacks were linked with personal and career agency, good mother ideologies, and sacrifice narratives. ‘Hybrid athlete mother’ identities in stories of second chance redemption comebacks were also constructed as generative role models as part of an athletic rebirth. Coming back stronger and wiser in media stories troubled gendered assumptions about veteran athlete mothers as weak/past their prime through constructing their experience as valued, along with body-performance tensions. Both sets of comeback meanings resist biological and ageist ideologies in media stories of veteran athlete mothers while perpetuating neoliberal ideologies and narratives of exceptionalism. These findings show the pedagogical value of media stories for expanding understanding of nuanced shifting discourses identified in interviews and media studies on athlete mothers. The implications of these findings highlight a need for more research exploring digital media forms to learn more about veteran athlete mothers’ embodied subjectivities and implications for elite sport careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]