Ethical aspects in research in adapted physical activity

This paper discusses some of the ethical aspects in research in adapted Physical Activity (APA). It indicates some of the ethical challenges related to the choice of research problemto be investigated, and the treatment of participants, not least when working with people who are in some ways in a more vulnerable life situation. Drawing also on experiences as a researcher with a disability, the challenges and potential benefits of involving people with disabilities in APA research is critically discussed

Sitting and watching the others being active: The experienced difficulties in PE when having a disability

The experience of participation in physical activity was explored in a qualita- tive study with twenty Norwegian adults with physical and visual disabilities. The interviews showed that more than 75% of negative experiences reported in this study originated from physical education (PE), suggesting that this was a particularly challenging arena. The negative experiences were centered in these common themes: experiences of not being included, experiences of failing, and experiences of not being listened to. The interviews were analyzed applying an existential-phenomenological approach. The participants with relatively minor degrees of disability and with the least visible disabilities were the ones who most often reported negative experiences regarding PE. This suggests the experiences were not generated solely by the actual physical or sensory limitations, but equally by how well the participants’ challenges were understood by their teachers and to what degree adaptations were implemented