Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY Reviewing Benefits and Barriers Associated with the Participation of Persons with Disabilities in Sport, Exercise, Physical and Leisure Activities

Abstract: In life barriers to participation in sport and physical activity tend to exist and affect all people i.e. able bodied as well as those living with disabilities. However people with disabilities often experience additional barriers to those experienced by their non disabled counterparts. It is also commonly believed that disabled people can benefit from participating in sport, exercise physical and leisure activities just like their non disabled counterparts. This article reviews, analyses and discusses the critical benefits which persons with disabilities can accrue from participating in sport, exercise, physical and leisure activities. The paper proceeds to review the critical barriers that tend to impede persons with disabilities from participating in these activities and hence prevent them from accruing the envisaged benefits. The paper projects forward by suggesting solutions to the barriers in order to enhance, promote and motivate the involvement and participation of persons with a disability in sport, exercise and leisure activities