Photo by Domnick Walsh Photography
The International Federation of Adapted Physical Activity (IFAPA) held their bi-annual International Symposium of Adapted Physical Activity (ISAPA) at Munster Technological University in Tralee, Ireland from 16 – 20 June. The week-long symposium saw over 400 researchers, doctors, educators, and leaders come together to share, collaborate, and discuss what inclusive research is, where the field of adapted physical activity (APA) is headed, and how to progress data to further support people with disabilities globally.
IFAPA is a professional association of scholars, professionals, and higher education students in the field of APA.
What is adapted physical activity?
During the conference, Special Olympics and IFAPA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to solidify their commitment to progressing inclusive research for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This collaboration will help Special Olympics to further engage in research by allowing the use and sharing of data to develop strong, evidence-based programming around the world and demonstrate the impact of this programming.
Special Olympics’ Senior Manager of Fitness for Sport Performance Gwendolyn Apgar also invited ISAPA attendees to Take the Pledge during the MOU signing: I pledge to advance adapted sport and physical activity through research, collaboration, and action. The partnership between Special Olympics and IFAPA is reliant on those in the research field to make conscious and deliberate decisions to change the current process of research to make it more inclusive and to rethink what inclusion in their area of work currently looks like and how to make it better.
Photo by Domnick Walsh Photography
Incorporating people with IDD on research teams shifts the power in the research and evaluation process. Rather than solely being participants in a study, through inclusive research people with IDD are active contributors, helping to build, collect, and share data as part of a team of researchers with and without IDD.
“Think about how to involve people with intellectual disabilities in your work—not just as participants, but as partners,” declared Special Olympics Sargent Shriver Global Messenger Margaret Turley during the signing. “Bring us in early. Ask for our ideas. Give us roles on research teams. Because like we always say in Special Olympics: Nothing about us without us.”
Research at Special Olympics
Special Olympics Director of Research & Evaluation Ashlyn Smith shared the importance of research for the organization: “Special Olympics depends on inclusive research and evaluation to address issues that matter to people with IDD.” Accurately representing their views and experiences, ensuring higher quality data collection methods, and contributing to more accurate interpretation of findings are key. Promoting inclusive research and evaluation methodologies at Special Olympics will ultimately improve the lives of people with IDD and contribute to more inclusive societies globally.
Involvement in ISAPA 2025
Special Olympics’ Vice President of Research & Evaluation Andrew Lincoln, Director of Fitness & Health Research Alicia Dixon-Ibarra, Ashlyn Smith and Margaret Turley delivered a workshop on “Engaging Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities in Inclusive Research: Practical Strategies for Adapted Physical Activity Researchers.” Educating attendees on how to engage in inclusive research and implement it in their own respective fields, the group facilitated discussion to hear from individuals who have started to incorporate people with IDD in their research process and those who want to start and don’t know how.
Alicia Dixon-Ibarra also facilitated a wearable technology panel that detailed the work Special Olympics has been doing with monitoring athletes’ fitness and health through devices such as Fitbits.
Margaret Turley shared her thoughts during a mental health panel with conference attendees on 19 June. As a leader and athlete with ID, she gave insight on how to make things more accessible for people with IDD. Areas needing more accessibility included: consent forms, report findings, instructions, and other reading material that can be confusing and hard to comprehend in such heavy text materials.
UNESCO—Policy Change for Disability Inclusion in Sport: Paris 2024 Call to Action Follow-Up
Dr. Niamh Mourton, Senior Manager of Special Olympics’ Motor Activities Training Program, spoke during the UNESCO Paris 2024 Call to Action panel on the implementation of the Paris and Asuncion Calls to Action in Special Olympics work, especially in Latin America.
Last October at the 4th Latin American Special Olympics Games in Paraguay, Special Olympics co-hosted the International Sports for Development Forum. The forum explored sport as a key instrument for achieving the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the areas of health, education, gender, gender equality, human mobility, poverty eradication, and the construction of resilient communities. Since then, Special Olympics has worked in unison and on behalf of those with IDD to expand inclusion in every field of sport and intersecting fields by working with countries’ governments to create inclusive practices from the grassroots through leadership levels of sport.
MATP Workshop and Demonstration
Dr. Mourton also led a Motor Activity Training Program (MATP) Masterclass and demonstration for conference attendees on 20 June. During the Masterclass, she and other Special Olympics national Programs, such as the Netherlands and Malta, shared the core motor skills and techniques that drive all MATP activities: mobility, dexterity, striking, kicking, and stability.
The attendees then had the opportunity to apply the Masterclass education in person by physically going through the MATP sport stations and learning how to navigate each activity themselves so they can effectively coach MATP athletes through them in the future. They then helped run the MATP come-and-try event with local Munster MATP Ireland athletes.
As part of the MATP workshop, Special Olympics Slovakia, Special Olympics Ireland, and Gehandicaptensport Nederland discussed their involvement the Erasmus+ project MATCODE—MATP Training & Coaching Development in Europe. MATCODE aims to:
- Increase the choice in leisure activities for people with profound intellectual and developmental disabilities.
- Curriculum development & capacity building.
- Further develop MATP in three EU countries, including new exercises.
- Building local and (inter)national cross-sectoral exchange networks: sport, health, and education.
This collaboration between Special Olympics and other external organizations through MATCODE is setting out to showcase that by sharing resources, more people with and without IDD can experience the joy and benefits of sport.
Moving forward, Special Olympics aims to continue collaborations across its regions with IFAPA to help incorporate more inclusive research practices from leadership to all national programs. Through this work, Special Olympics hopes to one-day host a research symposium that will bring together the top researchers from around the world to share their research and evaluation as a means to create more and better inclusive sport opportunities.
