{"id":55275,"date":"2024-08-28T08:55:14","date_gmt":"2024-08-28T07:55:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/?page_id=55275"},"modified":"2026-04-09T17:11:52","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T16:11:52","slug":"as-paralympics-begins-new-research-reveals-shocking-neglect-of-disabled-peoples-health-in-the-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/press-releases\/research\/as-paralympics-begins-new-research-reveals-shocking-neglect-of-disabled-peoples-health-in-the-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"As Paralympics begins, new research reveals \u2018shocking neglect\u2019 of disabled people\u2019s health in the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-primary-bullets\">\n<li>Four in five people with complex disabilities are at increased risk of illness due to lack of exercise.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In a poll of more than thousand disabled people, nearly half said they would like to be more active, but are prevented due to societal barriers, such as inaccessible venues and a lack of trained staff.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Former Olympian turned leading sport and exercise scientist Professor Greg Whyte OBE condemns \u201cmass disability neglect at a time we are focused on elite disability sport\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Daisy-Copp-surfing.jpg\" alt=\"A woman wearing a blue shirt needs on a surfboard in the water\" class=\"wp-image-55276\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Daisy-Copp-surfing.jpg 969w, https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Daisy-Copp-surfing-600x399.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Daisy-Copp-surfing-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Daisy-Copp-surfing-500x332.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Daisy Copp surfing. Credit Ben Birchall\/Sense<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>28 August 2024 \u2013 <\/strong>As the Paralympic Games begins in Paris, experts have said the health and wellbeing of disabled people in the UK is being \u201cshockingly neglected\u201d, in response to findings, published today, by the national disability charity Sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A poll* of more than a thousand adults with complex disabilities** in the UK, reveals four in five (81 per cent) do less than 150 minutes of physical activity a week, with more than a third (36 per cent) getting less than 30 minutes. The NHS recommends that adults aged 19 to 64 get at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week to help maintain physical and mental health, with those doing less than 30 minutes classed as \u2018inactive\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The results mean around 1.3 million people*** with complex disabilities in the UK are not active enough to be healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nearly half (46 per cent) of those quizzed said they wanted to be more active to boost their physical and mental wellbeing but were prevented from doing so due to societal barriers. Inaccessible venues and transportation, as well as a lack of skilled staff to support disabled people, were highlighted as significant barriers by nearly a third of respondents. More than a quarter (26 per cent) highlighted the lack of information on inclusive sport opportunities<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Greg Whyte, former Olympian and Professor of Applied Sport and Exercise Science at Liverpool John Moore\u2019s University, has condemned the findings, stating that disabled people\u2019s health is being \u201cshockingly neglected\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor Whyte pointed out being physically active, at a level that best suits each person\u2019s individual needs and abilities, improves people\u2019s physical, mental, emotional and social health \u2013 and can help reduce pressure on the NHS and social care as a result. He has called for change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Greg Whyte, Professor of Applied Sport and Exercise Science at Liverpool John Moore\u2019s University, said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe health of people with complex disabilities is being shockingly neglected. It\u2019s indefensible that four out of five are not active enough to be healthy and the barriers stopping them, like inaccessible exercise venues or a lack of trained coaching staff, are completely unacceptable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat we are seeing is quite simply mass disability neglect at a time we are focused on elite disability sport. As we\u2019re gearing up for the Paralympics, it would appear that authorities are pretending to care without a strategy to ensure that sport is truly for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSimple changes, like training staff, fitting ramps or improving transport, could have a profoundly positive effect on disabled people\u2019s physical health and resistance to illnesses like heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke. There are huge mental, emotional and social health benefits too, leading to improved quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd by reducing pressure and costs to the NHS and social care, the whole of society will benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Alissa Ayling, Head of Sense Active, the charity\u2019s sport and physical activity programme, said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>\u201cSense wants everyone to have the chance to be active in a way that\u2019s meaningful for them and we see on a daily basis how much that can boost people\u2019s physical and mental wellbeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat so many people are getting less exercise than they need to be healthy is incredibly disappointing, but sadly not surprising. There\u2019s a lot of work to be done to ensure being active really is for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDisabled people experience many barriers to exercising, from inaccessible sports venues and transport to a lack of an upskilled workforce&nbsp;and closures of local facilities. But if there\u2019s enough determination to break down the barriers, it will happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Sense Active programme, funded by a \u00a32.2 million grant from Sport England, will support 5,000 more people with complex disabilities to be active by the end of 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sense has redesigned traditional sports, including badminton, tennis and football, so people with complex disabilities can meaningfully participate in them for the first time and is training 1,000 coaches to help make physical activity accessible to all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Case study \u2013 \u2018When you have Down\u2019s syndrome, it\u2019s hard to find somewhere to exercise\u2019<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"669\" height=\"448\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Daisy-Copp-surfing1.jpg\" alt=\"A woman wearing a blue shirt kneeling on a surfboard\" class=\"wp-image-55279\" style=\"width:786px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Daisy-Copp-surfing1.jpg 669w, https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Daisy-Copp-surfing1-600x402.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Daisy-Copp-surfing1-500x335.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 669px) 100vw, 669px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Daisy Copp surfing. Credit Ben Birchall\/Sense<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Daisy Copp has mastered standing and kneeling on a surfboard and loves wowing her family with her skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Daisy, 29, from Barnstaple in North Devon has Down\u2019s syndrome and psoriatic arthritis, a condition that causes joint pain and stiffness, and needs lots of encouragement and specialist support to get active.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Luckily, funding from Sense means she can take part in adaptive surfing lessons, that are delivered by trained instructors and volunteers at The Wave Project and give each disabled surfer the individualised support they need to ride the waves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Daisy\u2019s mum, Jenny Copp, 59, a primary school supply teacher, says: \u201cDaisy doesn\u2019t have a lot of stamina but when she wants to give up on her surfing lesson, her instructors get her to play in the waves then get her back on the board for another ten minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAfter about five sessions last summer, they got her to stand on the board. Daisy loves it when people see pictures of her surfing and say, \u2018Wow, we can\u2019t do that!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Daisy lives with her mum and dad, Tim Copp, 64, a retired maintenance engineering manager. Before they moved from Surrey to North Devon two years ago and found surfing in 2023, the family struggled to find accessible ways for Daisy to exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jenny says: \u201cWhen you have Down\u2019s syndrome, it\u2019s very hard to find somewhere to exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDaisy was very into dance when we were in Surrey, but we couldn\u2019t find a dance company that didn\u2019t do exams and she couldn\u2019t reach that level. She can swim well but might want to swim across the pool and not do what she\u2019s supposed to do in a group session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSurfing exercises Daisy\u2019s upper body and lower body which is great. Afterwards, she\u2019s tired but she\u2019s happy and I think it\u2019s really good for her mental health too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Notes:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>*Results gathered by combined online polling of 1,001 people aged 18+ with complex disabilities (conducted between 29 May and 13 June 2024.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u202f**Complex disabilities refers to people aged 18+ who are deafblind, have single sensory needs, additional needs or a combination of needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>*** Based on Sense\u2019s polling, extrapolated to the 1.6 million people in the UK with complex disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n  <div class=\"wp-block  box    is-style-textured-grey-tint-10\">    <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contact Sense&#8217;s media team<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Email: <\/strong><a href=\"mailto:mediaenquiries@sense.org.uk\">mediaenquiries@sense.org.uk<\/a><br><strong>Phone number: <\/strong>0203 833 0611<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>28 August 2024 &#8211; Around 1.3 million people with complex disabilities in the UK are not active enough to be healthy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":352,"featured_media":55276,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1411],"tags":[],"display_author":[],"class_list":["post-55275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/352"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55275"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55275\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55275"},{"taxonomy":"display_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/display_author?post=55275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}