Authors
1 PhD of Sport Management,, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
2 Professor of Sport Management Department of Sport Sciences Faculty, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
Abstract
Aim and Background:
According to Report of the World Health Organization, 1.3 billion people worldwide have disabilities, which is equivalent to 16% of the world's population, and one in every 6 people has a disability, and this number is increasing dramatically. Sports, as a basic need, can help people resist physical, mental, emotional, and social pressures and suffer less from cardiovascular problems than others. The importance of sport and physical activity is greater for people with disabilities, because sport is not only a means of recreation for those who spend their free time, but also a factor in the development of physical and mental disabilities in disabled people and plays a significant role in reducing secondary complications caused by disability. The issue of physical inactivity among disabled people requires great attention due to their physical and mental problems, as well as problems in the environment and society. In other words, if doing sports and physical activity is recommended for healthy people, it is obligatory for disabled people. This is because people without disabilities meet their movement needs to some extent through the daily activities they do, but people with disabilities do not. Numerous studies have been conducted on the management of sports for people with disabilities, including those with physical disabilities, blindness, deafness, and mental retardation. The present study aimed to systematically review published articles in the field of sports management for people with disabilities between 2014 and 2024. By providing an overview of these articles, a better understanding of these studies can be created, followed by an explanation of the overall and integrated results and determination of research needs in the field of sports for people with disabilities in Iran.
Methods:
The present study was a secondary study and its implementation method was a systematic review. In this study, quantitative content analysis method based on documentary studies was used to evaluate the articles. The statistical population of this study was all scientific-research articles published in domestic journals focusing on sports for people with disabilities (physically, blind, deaf, and mentally) in Iran. In this research, articles were conducted in the fields of sports management, sports psychology, sports sociology, sports law, and sports media, focusing on sports for people with disabilities. In the initial search, more than 120 articles were found, and after separating duplicate records, unrelated articles, articles in invalid journals, and articles without full text, 85 articles were included in the research process. The time period of the articles was from the beginning of 2014 to the middle of 2024. In order to identify and create a bank of articles in the field of sports for people with disabilities, an electronic search was conducted in Persian-language databases. These databases were: The National Publications Database, the Academic Jihad Scientific Database, the Noor Specialized Journals Database, the Comprehensive Humanities Portal, and Google Scholar. Another criterion for selecting articles for inclusion in the study was the ability to access the full text of the articles.
Findings / Results:
Based on the conducted studies, 85 scientific research articles entered the research process. Table 1 shows the studies conducted based on trends and sub-disciplines for sports for people with disabilities:
Discussion and Conclusion:
The purpose of the present study was to systematically review articles published in domestic scientific and research journals in the field of sports for people with disabilities from 2014 to 2024. The results of this study are presented in Tables 1 and 2. The level of attention paid to people with disabilities in the adoption of laws and regulations and in their implementation is not the same, and as observed in research, in practice, people with physical and motor disabilities are given more attention than other disabilities. For example, in paragraph 8 of section A of article 4 of the law, the objectives, duties and authorities of the Ministry of Sports and Youth, the adaptation of sports places and spaces for the use and presence of women, families and the physically and mentally disabled, the duties of this ministry in the field of sports are stated. This is despite the fact that there are different types of disabilities, each with specific needs and conditions, and adaptations that are made for people with physical and motor disabilities do not mean that they are also suitable for other groups of people with disabilities. In addition, despite numerous laws and regulations in the field of sports for people with disabilities, in practice and in implementation, these laws and regulations have not been implemented very well, and even though more than 16 percent of the world's population consists of people with disabilities, and this figure is higher in underdeveloped and developing countries, the amount of sports facilities and amenities available to these people, which are adapted to their specific conditions, is very limited and not proportionate to their percentage of the population. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the necessary implementation guarantees not only in research, but also in legislation, determining policies and guidelines. Also, in implementing laws and regulations with a distributive and procedural justice approach, equal attention should be paid to people with disabilities, which is in line with the fundamental principles of human rights. In conducting studies in the field of sports management for people with disabilities, all spectrums of disabilities should be considered and studied, and studies should not be limited to just one spectrum of people with disabilities. Among the limitations of the present study are the inability to access the full text of some scientific research articles and the failure to review other studies, including foreign books and articles.
Keywords
)