Breaking the Bubble: Understanding Disability Needs in Sports

When you’re deeply involved in the world of disability sport, you begin to see it as

second nature—adapting exercises, understanding accessibility needs, and fostering

inclusion become routine. But for many people outside this community, there’s a vast

knowledge gap about the specific needs and challenges that disabled athletes face. It’s

easy to assume that this gap stems from ignorance or neglect, but often it’s something

far less intentional: it’s simply not a part of their everyday lives.

As someone involved in adaptive sports, you likely have a deeper understanding of

disability than the average person. You know how crucial proper equipment,

modifications, and support systems are for athletes to excel. You understand how

significant it is to create inclusive environments where everyone can thrive regardless of

ability. But, stepping outside of this world often reveals that most people don’t share

this level of awareness—not because they don’t care, but because they haven’t been

exposed to it in a meaningful way.

The Bubble of Disability Sport

Involvement in disability sports, like adaptive boxing, creates a community where

understanding and accommodating diverse needs becomes the norm. We develop a

keen sense of the subtle details that make sports accessible and meaningful for all

athletes. From modifying techniques to suit different abilities to ensuring accessibility

in venues, we navigate a world that is fully adapted to include everyone.

However, this can sometimes create a bubble. We get used to the fact that adaptive

sports and disability needs are at the forefront of our minds, and we may forget that

others haven’t had the same experiences or opportunities to learn. It's not that they are

deliberately uninformed or insensitive—they just haven’t had to think about disability in

the same way we do. And when you live in a bubble of people who all "get it," you can

become complacent with how much others don’t know.

Lack of Knowledge is Not Always Ignorance

It’s easy to become frustrated when we encounter people who don’t understand the

challenges and needs of disabled athletes. However, it’s important to remember that for

many, disability is not part of their day-to-day reality. The adaptations we think of as

second nature may be completely unfamiliar to them. This doesn’t mean they’re

intentionally ignoring the needs of the disabled community—it simply means they

haven’t had to consider these issues before.

We must acknowledge that disability can still be somewhat of an "invisible issue" for

those not directly involved. Many well-meaning individuals simply haven’t been

exposed to the depth of what inclusion means, especially in the context of sports. They

might not understand the complexities involved in something like adaptive boxing or the

importance of tailored training for athletes with specific needs.

Building Understanding Through Engagement

The key to breaking down these barriers of misunderstanding is engagement and

education. It’s on us, as members of the adaptive sports community, to share our

knowledge and experiences in ways that invite people to learn, rather than assume they

should already know.

Here are a few ways we can encourage greater understanding and involvement:

1. Encouraging Exposure: Invite non-disabled individuals and those unfamiliar

with disability sports to attend adaptive events or training sessions. Allow them

to see firsthand the skill, dedication, and adaptations that go into these sports.

2. Educating Through Conversations: Be open to answering questions, even those

that may seem basic. This is often how people begin to understand disability

needs on a deeper level.

3. Raising Awareness in the General Sports Community: Partner with traditional

sports teams, gyms, and organizations to create more opportunities for adaptive

sports to be seen and understood by a wider audience.

4. Advocating for Representation: Make sure disability sports and the

achievements of disabled athletes are highlighted in mainstream media, giving

greater visibility to the community.

Fostering Empathy, Not Frustration

It’s easy to become frustrated when others don’t understand what we view as basic

considerations in the disability sports world. However, by fostering empathy and

recognizing that many people’s lack of understanding isn’t wilful ignorance, we can take

positive steps toward bridging the gap.

We should continue advocating for greater awareness, but do so with the understanding

that, for many people, disability is not yet part of their personal experience. The more we

can invite others into our world and show them what adaptive sports look like, the

better equipped they’ll be to understand the needs of disabled athletes.

Conclusion

In the world of disability sports, particularly in disciplines like adaptive boxing, we

develop an acute awareness of what it takes to create an inclusive and supportive

environment. However, it’s important to step outside of our bubble and recognize that

many people don’t share this understanding, not out of neglect, but because it hasn’t

been part of their experience.

Our role is to bridge that gap by inviting others to learn, share, and grow alongside us.

Together, we can create a world where inclusive sports aren’t just understood by a

small community but embraced by everyone. After all, once people know better, they’ll

do better—and that’s a powerful way to build a more inclusive future for athletes of all

abilities.