Listening to stakeholders’ voices on funding social inclusion in sport for people with disabilities : proposal for criteria

Campos, Maria João (author), Pečnikar Oblak, Viktorija (author), Massart, Alain (author), Ljubotina, Predrag (author), Perényi, Szilvia (author), Farkas, Judit (author), Sarmento, Hugo (author), Doupona, Mojca (author)

The value of sport is extensively documented; however, there are still groups who do not have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of sport due to lack of investment, particularly important for people with disabilities. A gap persists in understanding the effectiveness of inclusive sport programs in addressing equity-related targets, particularly on the effective methods of financing inclusion in sport for individuals with disabilities. Therefore, providing a platform for stakeholders to express their perspectives becomes crucial. Through focus groups and the World Café approach, the aim of this study was to gather insights from athletes, parents, professionals, and sport club managers regarding the funding of inclusive sport for people with disabilities. A total of 72 participants took part in nine focus groups in Portugal, Slovenia, and Hungary: 27 athletes with disabilities, 22 coaches, other technicians and parents, and 23 club managers / directors. Findings were divided into five topics: (1) perspectives on current funding satisfaction; (2) perspectives on sources and criteria for funding; (3) perspectives on ideal funding; (4) perspectives on ideas to reach decision-makers; and (5) proposals on ideal criteria for funding. Based on these findings, six measurable criteria for fair funding allocation were suggested that could develop a properly weighted system of criteria for decision-makers to assess the allocation of funding among inclusive sport organizations with the potential to catalyze broader policy and societal changes. Additionally, there is a pressing need to develop a funding model for inclusive sport for individuals with disabilities.

• Language: English
• Keywords: sport, disabled sport, inclusive sport, sport finance, mainstreaming
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FŠ - Faculty of Sport
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: 15 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 12, iss. 6, art. 147
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-185993
• UDC: 796.01
• ISSN on article: 2075-4663
• DOI: 10.3390/sports12060147
• COBISS.SI-ID: 200174851
• Publication date in RUL: 25.08.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Sports
• Shortened title: Sports
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2075-4663
• COBISS.SI-ID: 520262425

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: šport, invalidski šport, inkluzivni šport, športne finance, vključevanje

Projects

• Funder: Other - Other funder or multiple funders
• Funding programme: ERASMUS-SPORT-2021-SCP
• Project number: 101050372
• Name: Meter Matters Project