It’s a difficult time to live in Britain. Following years of the Covid-19 pandemic, we’re now in a cost of living crisis that is impacting every area of our lives – from affording basic groceries to having astronomically high energy bills. And ccording to new research from Activity Alliance – a leading UK charity and voice for disabled people in sport and activity – disabled people are facing isolation due to it.
The latest figures from Activity Alliance, gathered from a survey of over 2,000 disabled people, highlights that there is a huge need to reduce disabled people’s cost of living and risk of loneliness to improve overall activity levels.
Cost of living crisis affects socialising for disabled people
The survey’s findings indicate that among other concerns, financial barriers are impacting disabled people’s activity levels. In fact, 37% of disabled respondents said that the cost of living crisis has affected how active they are, compared to 32% of non-disabled people.
This, however, is only the tip of the iceberg. In the UK, there is still widespread misunderstanding as to what living with disability can actually entail. This is especially concerning given that according to UK government statistics, over a fifth of the population is classed as disabled. This miscomprehension runs deep and instils distrust of services that are supposed to support disabled people.
The Activity Alliance survey found that memberships, concessions, and more disposable income would have the most impact for empowering disabled people to be more active. In fact, disabled people are more likely to want to spend more on physical activities than non-disabled people but for 37%, there are worries that being more active would result in benefits or financial assistance being taken away.
Activity Alliance calls on government to close the “activity gap”
Activity Alliance highlighted that there is a clear spending gap for what disabled people are spending and want to spend on physical activity. Disabled people reported spending an average of £13.40 less than non-disabled people on being active each month. However, 34% of disabled people want to spend more on being active while 27% of non-disabled people want to spend less.
Financial support would go a long way to tackling the loneliness that 23% of disabled respondents expressed experiencing and the isolation that 54% of respondents admitted to experiencing.
Speaking on the findings, Adam Blaze, Chief Executive at Activity Alliance said, “We continue to listen to disabled people’s experiences and believe this is the only way to see meaningful change. Without ensuring disabled people are part of this decision making, it will not be possible to achieve our goal of a healthier, happier, and more active nation.
We urge leaders and organisations to read the report and see what immediate changes they can make with a plan to achieve long-term goals.”
“Access to sport is essential”
Contributors to the report spoke directly with Activity Alliance to discuss what sports means to them and their communities.
Cairo-Monetell who suffers from scoliosis as a complication of Type 1 neurofibromatosis, experiences daily pain and limited movements due to his conditions and says that sport is essential for his mental health adding, “The prices of everything have skyrocketed, such as gym memberships or even being active as a one-off. Access to sport is essential - it helps keep my mind at peace, as being cooped up too long is unhealthy.”
Rainbow Mbuangi has a V1 visual impairment and takes part in Para Football, Goal Ball, and attends the gym for physical fitness. She said, “Disability sport is especially good as it’s usually an activity which is extra inclusive, that helps create connections and boosts awareness. I often play blind football with sighted friends, as it’s something we can do together and has social benefits as well as physical”.