Leveraging  Parasport  Events  for  Sustainable  Community  Par8cipa8on:  

The  Case  of  Glasgow    2014  

Funding  for  this  project  provided  by:    

Dr.  Laura  Misener  Dr.  Gayle  McPherson  Dr.  David  McGillivray   Dr.  David  Legg  

Key  Ques8on  

• How  can  sport  events  be  u9lized  to  posi9vely  influence  communi9es?    

1)  influence  accessibility  and  enhance  awareness  about  disability;  and    2)  increase  opportuni9es  for  parasport  par9cipa9on.    

Context  

•  UN  Conven8on  on  the  Rights  of  Persons  with  a  Disability:  “persons  with  a  disability  should  have  the  right  to  par9cipate  on  an  equal  basis  in  community  life  including  recrea%onal,  leisure  and  spor%ng  ac%vi%es”  (UN,  2009)  

•  Scarcity  of  research  focusing  on  events  of  any  size  and  scale  for  persons  with  a  disability    

(Misener,  Darcy,  Legg,  &  Gilbert,  2013)    

Barriers  to  Par8cipa8on  

•  Need  for  assistance    •  Need  for  specialized  equipment    •  Lack  of  understanding  and  awareness  of  how  to  include  people  with  a  disability  in  sport;    

•  *Limited  opportuni9es  and  programs  for  par9cipa9on,  training  and  compe99on;    

•  *Lack  of  accessible  facili9es;    •  *Limited  accessible  transporta9on;  and    •  Limited  access  to  informa9on  and  resources        

(Depauw  &  Gavron,  2005;  HRSDC,  2011)  

Research  aim  &  objec8ves    

Research  Aim:  ² To  examine  how  the  hos9ng  of  different  forms  of  sport  events  

for  persons  with  a  disability  are  being  leveraged  to  create  opportuni9es  for  community  par9cipa9on,  and  influence  community  a]tudes  towards  disability    

Research  Objec9ves:  ² Compare  and  contrast  social  legacy  tac9cs,  strategies,  and  

programmes  ² Analyze  spectator,  volunteer,  and  community  members’  

a]tudes  and  awareness  of  disability  ² Develop  framework  for  leveraging  parasport  events  to  benefit  

par9cipa9on  opportuni9es  

Sport  Event  Legacies  Legacy  has  been  viewed  predominantly  in  a  posi9ve  light  where,    

…  the  term  is  used  by  organizing  commibees,  it  is  assumed  to  be  en9rely  posi9ve,  there  being  no  such  thing  as  nega9ve  legacy  when  used  in  this  context.  [Secondly,]  it  is  usually  believed  that  legacy  benefits  flow  to  a  community  at  the  end  of  the  Games  as  a  maber  of  course.  (Cashman,  2005,  p.  15)  

 

From  impact…  

EVENT  

OUTCOME  

OUTCOME  

OUTCOME  

Legacy…  

     

       EXISTING    Resources  

…  to  Leverage  

EVENT  

OUTCOME  

OUTCOME  

OUTCOME  

PLAN  

IMPLEMENT  

Taks,  Misener,  Chalip,  &  Green,  2012  

Parasport  Legacy  Research  

‘‘Events  and  the  opportuni%es  they  present  are  merely  the  seed  capital;  what  hosts  do  with  that  capital  is  the  key  to  realizing  

sustainable  longer-­‐term  legacies”  (O’Brien,  2006:  p.  258)  

 

Focus    •  A]tudes:  A  more  posi9ve  a]tude  toward  traits  or  behaviors,  or  not  underes9ma9ng  the  poten9al  quality  of  life  of  those  with  impairments  

•  Social  support:  resources,  aids  or  posi9ve  discrimina9on  to  overcome  them  (e.g.  providing  a  buddy  to  explain  work  culture  for  an  employee  with  au9sm)  

•  Informa9on:  Using  suitable  formats  (e.g.  braille)  or  levels  (e.g.  simplicity  of  language)  or  coverage  (e.g.  explaining  issues  others  may  take  for  granted),  

•  Physical  structures:    Universal  Design  

Commonwealth  Games  2014  &    ParaPan  American  Games  2015  

Glasgow,  Scotland  (July  23-­‐Aug  3,  2014)  ➺ 5  parasports,  22  parasport  medal  events  ➺ Athle9cs,  Swimming,  Powerlioing,  Lawn  Bowls    and  Track  Cycling  

➺ Parasport  athletes  integrated  ➺ Legacy  planning  as  a  general  process  

 Toronto,  Canada  (Aug  6  –  Aug  15,  2015)  ➺ 15  parasport  events  ➺ Parasport  athletes  separated  by  9me  and  space  ➺ Dis%nct  Legacy  planning  for  Pan  and  Parapan  Games  

Research  Methodology  Type  of  Evidence   Glasgow  2014   ParaPan  Am  Games  2015  

Documenta9on   Bid  Documents  Glasgow  City  Council/ScoVsh  Legacy  Framework  

Bid  Documents  Social  Capital  Strategy    Evalua9on  Reports  

Physical  Ar9facts   Media  Reports  Marke8ng  and  Promo8onal  Materials  (Brochures,  posters)  

Media  Reports  Marke9ng  and  Promo9onal  Materials  (Brochures,  posters)  

Direct  Observa9on  

Observa8on  of  Glasgow  2014  parasport  sport  events  

Observa9ons  of  Toronto  2015  Parapan  sport  events  

Semi-­‐structured  Interviews  

20  Strategic  interviews  (OC,  policy,  disability  sport)  

Strategic  interview  

Targeted  Interviews:  On-­‐site  Surveys  w/  volunteers  &  spectators  

Scale  of  AVtudes  towards  Disabled  Persons  Glasgow  Household  Survey  

Scale  of  A]tudes  towards  Disabled  Persons  

 �  Legacies  will  be  felt  throughout  the  pathway  

because  of…  ²  Accessibility    ²  Games-­‐9me  ²  Policy  ²  Educa9on  

Accessibility  

Accessibility  ² Games  venue  accessibility  exemplary  (sea9ng  1.5  9mes  IPC)  ² Games-­‐9me  experience  of  integrated  events  a  great  success:  

sensi9ve  programming,  explana9on  of  classifica9ons,  knowledgeable  audiences  

² Travel  and  transport  adequate  –  though  pre-­‐Games  concern  ² Permanent  improvements  to  some  venues  –  planned  legacies  

(e.g.  Hampden  Park)    ‘Hope’  that  the  physical  accessibility  of  the  venues…may  encourage  people  to  come  along  and  go  to  these  places  again  (Accessibility  &  

Inclusion  Mgr,  G2014)  

Games-­‐9me  •  Emphasis  on  quan9ty  and  quality  of  parasport  compe99on  

and  9me  to  prepare  (22  medal  events)  ² G2014  Ltd  demonstrated  strategic  leadership  in  the  sphere  of  

parasport  and  wider  advocacy  for  disability  issues  ² BUT,  recogni9on  of  Games  delivery  responsibility  and  limits  of  

legacy  expecta9ons  We  liquidate  and  wrap  up  the  company  in  just  a  year’s  %me.  We  do  enable  it  (legacy),  we  do  support  it,  we  do  feed  the  beast…so  it’s  important  that  decisions  we  make  have  a  direct  impact  on  

the  success  (CEO,  G2014)    

Concrete  strategies/plans  

v  Physical  Educa9on  Disability  Inclusion;  support  coaches  in  Disability  training  SDS,  targeted  the  5  parasports.  (Sco]sh  Disability  Sport)  

v  Develop  enhanced  pathways,  Regional  coordinators,  support  local  clubs  and  secure  beber  monitoring/evalua9on  (baseline)  data  

v  £6  million  investment  in  dedicated  parasport  facility  v  BUT  diversion  of  resources  away  from  established  

programming  in  favour  of  Games  sports  (e.g.  powerlioing)  

Games  /  Volunteers  

•  Posi9ve  Pre-­‐Games  A]tudes  (12  items;  a=.74;  μ=5.52)  

•  High  Levels  of  Awareness  (4  items;  α  =  .88;  μ=4.9)  

Games  /  Awareness  

F(5, 2628) = 2.50, p = .029

�  Pre-­‐Games  training;  integrated  marke9ng;  messaging  

Pre-­‐Post:  Did  the  Games  make  a  difference?  

•  Awareness  of  Integrated  Event  –  Females  Time  1:  =  4.88,  Females  Time  2  =  6.14  (p  =  .00)  

 Significant  increase  in  awareness  post  – Males  Time  1:  =  5.07,  Males  Time  2  =  6.08  (p  =  .00)    

Significant  increase  in  awareness  pre-­‐post  

•  A]tudes  –  Females  Time  1:  5.83,  Females  Time  2  =  6.02  (p  =  .00)    

Significant  increase  in  aVtudes  pre-­‐post  

– Males  Time  1:  5.67,  Males  Time  2  =  5.89  (p  =  .00)    Significant  increase  in  aVtudes  pre-­‐post  

Spectators  •  Lower  levels  of  awareness;  less  posi9ve  global  a]tudes  

•  High  interest  in  disability  sport  •  70%  Games  did  not  change  a]tude  towards  disability  

Headline  Findings:  Sustaining  legacies  v The  absence  of  ‘specific’,  ‘iden9fiable’  and  ‘resourced’  strategies,  

tac9cs  and  programmes  beyond  the  Games  

² G2014  provided  role  models  &  posi9ve  media  coverage  BUT  choice  of  parasports  does  not  map  easily  onto  host  country  sport  par9cipa9on  or  development  pathways  

² Limited  investment  to  address  the  ‘mundane’,  ‘everyday’  barriers  to  sustained  community  par9cipa9on:  

² Pathways,  coaching,  transport,  pricing,  equipment      

Conclusions  and  next  steps  

² Growing  recogni9on  of  importance  of  social  legacies    ² Leadership  is  vital  but  Games-­‐9me  effect  needs  to  pass  to  na9onal  and  local  agencies  

² Regional  sport  likely  benefits  most  ² Na9onal  investment  for  elite  parasport  but,  where  is  the  broader  sport  development  infrastructure  and  coaching  network  to  support  that  investment?  

² Leveraging…  

Leveraging Parasport Events for Sustainable Community

Participation: The Case of Glasgow 2014

Funding  for  this  project  provided  by:    

Dr.  Laura  Misener  Dr.  Gayle  McPherson  Dr.  David  McGillivray   Dr.  David  Legg