About the project

The Para Sport Against Stigma (PSAS) project builds on lessons from the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Phase 1 (2020-2024) was a collaborative effort between Loughborough University London, the International Paralympic Committee and the University of Malawi.

The IPC took a significant step forward in raising awareness of Para sports and athletes in Sub Saharan Africa by providing free-to-air coverage of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games for the first time through this project. This groundbreaking initiative marks a crucial step in amplifying visibility and recognition of Para sports in the region. 

Alongside the broadcasts, in Ghana, Malawi, and Zambia, the project supported in-school educational activities using the IPC’s official programme, I’mPOSSIBLE, fosters Para athlete development in local communities before, during, and after the Paralympic Games, and, in Malawi, is conducting research to gain insights into enhancing community engagement in Paralympic activities.

This project is part of the AT2030 program, which receives funding from UK Aid and is led by the Global Disability Innovation Hub. AT2030’s primary objective is to identify effective strategies to enhance access to assistive technology. With an initial investment of £20 million to support scalable solutions, the program focuses on innovative products, new service models, and global capacity building. Encouragingly, in 2023 UK Aid announced an additional investment of £31 million into the AT2030 program, marking a ground-breaking commitment to innovation and research.

This increased investment aims to extend the program's impact reaching an additional 9 million individuals directly and 12 million more people indirectly enabling them to access life-changing assistive technology and fulfil their potential.

Research team

Project logic model

a step by step project model

The image is a visual representation of a project logic model, detailing  how the project aimed to improve access to Assistive Technology (AT) in African countries through Para sports.

The flow of information follows a structured path from identifying the problem to defining the objective, providing rationale, detailing inputs and activities, and finally outlining the expected outputs and impacts. The model uses icons and connecting lines to visually represent the logical progression of the project components.

Context

  • Poor access to Assistive Technology (AT) in African countries.

Problem

  • Stigma is a barrier to AT.
  • The Paralympics can shift stigma.

Project Objective

  • Question: "How can Paralympics shift disability stigma in African contexts?"

Rationale

  • London 2012 Paralympics shifted UK public perceptions.
  • Infrastructure exists for TV broadcasts of sport events in Africa.
  • Para sport is largely underdeveloped in African spaces.

Inputs

  • £1.6M (AT2030/UK Aid).
  • £1.7M (Match funding).

Activities

  • Research: Qualitative and action research approaches to study how Paralympics can shift stigma.
  • Broadcast: Centrally produced daily highlights packages.
  • Community Engagement: Awareness programmes in schools.
  • Athlete Development: Enhance training and competition opportunities.

Outputs

  • New Insights: 4 academic papers, 2 influencing papers.
  • Innovative Approaches: 2 strategic tools.
  • Reach: 1M direct, 6M indirect.

Expected Impact

  • Stigma reduction.
  • Increased access and uptake of AT.
  • Increased collaboration between AT sector and Para sport sector.

Expected Outcomes

  • New implementation and research insights.
  • New innovative approaches for Paris 2024 and LA2028.