Perceptions of disability and their impact upon involvement in sport for people with disabilities at all levels

The introduction of the social model of disability has attempted to move the spotlight of research away from the medical model theories of disability toward an investigation of the impacts of societal perceptions of disability upon people with disabilities. This article attempts to look at the impacts of societal perceptions of disability and disability sport, which in the main remain grounded in the medical model approach, upon people with disabilities in their attempts to become involved in and progress in their chosen sport. It also looks at the propensity for media coverage to recreate and reinforce many of the perceptions of disability present within the medical model approach to disability.