EVALUATION OF THE CHALLENGES OF INCLUSION AMONG STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN UNIVERSITY SPORTS: THE CASE OF MAKERERE UNIVERSITY, UGANDA

Authors

  • Olive Tusiime Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Education, Kabale University, Uganda
  • Roselyne Odiango Dr., Department of Health Promotion and Sport Science, School of Public Health Biomedical Sciences & Technology, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejpe.v9i1.4524

Keywords:

inclusion, disability, mainstreaming, sport, challenges

Abstract

Sport can provide a variety of mainstream and disability-specific opportunities across the inclusion spectrum for persons with disabilities. This study described the status of disability mainstreaming at Makerere University, Kampala, Central Uganda. In particular, the study described the challenges faced and how students with disabilities can be best included in Makerere University sports programmes. The study used a cross-sectional survey design using the quantitative and qualitative approaches on a sample size of 54 respondents. Data was collected by the use of self-administered questionnaires and an interview guide. The data was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitative data analysis involved the calculation of descriptive statistics namely, frequencies, percentages and means for analysis. Qualitative data was analyzed through content analysis. The study found that challenges faced when including students with disabilities in sports were: materials (not sufficiently) adjusted or available, facilities not (sufficiently) adjusted, lack of financial support, inferiority complex among the student with disability, lack of confidence, discrimination and stereotype in the population, lack of inspiration, lack of modified sports according to different disabilities, expensive adopted sports equipment. Ways students with disabilities can be best included in Makerere University sports programmes included: identification of students with disabilities and acceptance, avail specific equipment, introduce fitting sport for different disabilities, provision of special coaches/ specialist for the disabled, design facilities (sufficiently) adjusted, sensitization for support from the environment, ensure safety for the disabled athletes, give bursaries to disabled talented students in sports, collaboration with NGO’s for financial support, exposure to role models, need for protective gears for students with disabilities, increase incentives for the coaches, introduce adapted sports galas for the disabled, increasing the disability opportunity into university entry scheme, provide incentives to the disabled sport’s participants and the need for the disabled administrator to work as a role model. This study recommended that policymakers should ensure that students with disabilities are empowered in sports to give them the freedom to sports participation at home, in institutions, in workplaces and in the field. Managers of sports should ensure players attain full security of the players, provide protective gear and adopt tactics that reduce fear of injuries. Management of sports organisations that involve students with disabilities should provide quality playing fields, and modified equipment, introduce more games, provide players adequate attention and advocate the full implementation of counselling students with disabilities. Management of organisations of sports teams should engage students with disabilities in sports jobs in the sports associations, connect them outside sports and collaborate with non-governmental organizations that support disability-based activities and provide incentives for athletes with disabilities.

 

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Author Biographies

  • Olive Tusiime, Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Education, Kabale University, Uganda

    Olive Tusiime is a PhD student in the Department of Health Promotion and Sport Science at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya. She has a Master of Science from Kyambogo University, Bachelor of Science in Sports Science from Makerere University, Dip. Education Physical Education and Mathematics and an Assistant Lecturer of Physical Education, Kabale University Uganda. She is a sports trainer, teacher, coach and an administrator. She has presented research papers at the International Council for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport and Dance. Her area of focus is injuries in sports, gender in sports, disability in sports and the elite sport. Some of her research publications in peer review are: a) Epidemiology and causes of common soccer injuries during university games in Uganda, Kabale University Interdisciplinary Research Journal (KURJ), pp. 48-57 Volume 1, Issue 3; b) Prevalence and management of common soccer injuries during university games in Uganda, International Research Journal of Public and Environmental Health, vol. 7 (3), pp. 81-88, June 2020, Available online https://doi.org/10.15739/irjpeh.20.012; c) Analysis of the relationship between family roles and women participation in sports. International Journal of Research in Sociology and Anthropology (IJRSA), Volume 7, Issue 1, 2022, pp 1-11, available online at https://doi.org/10.20431/2454-8677.0701001; d) Assessment of the challenges and ways of overcoming them by women who participate in sports during Federation of Eastern Africa University Sports (FEAUS) Women Games in Uganda, European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, doi: 10.46827/ejpe.v9i1.4481; e) Assessment of the status of disability mainstreaming in sports at Makerere University. International Journal of Sports Science and Physical Education 2022; 7(4): 91-99 doi: 10.11648/j.ijsspe.20220704.11. She was involved in training the competence-based curriculum.

  • Roselyne Odiango, Dr., Department of Health Promotion and Sport Science, School of Public Health Biomedical Sciences & Technology, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya

    Dr. Roselyne Ajwang Odiangohas a PhD and MSc in sport science and B.Ed. (Physical Education) and is a lecturer and examination coordinator in the Department of Health Promotion and Sport Science at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya. She has participated before in anti-doping project “Use of supplements as performance enhancing substances” and other funded projects. She is a sports coach, teacher trainer, sports administrator and curriculum development officer at basic and higher education levels. She has presented research papers at international and national conferences. Her area of research focus is in disability sports, health promotion, curriculum development and sports administration. Some of her notable research publications in peer reviewed journals are: a) Gender ratings of social behaviour functioning levels among children with intellectual disability in a sport socialization intervention programme in Kenya, International Journal of Research and development (IJARD); b) Promoting social skill learning through sport socialization intervention among children with intellectual disability (ID) in Kenya: a single subject experimental research, available online at www.rsinnternational.org; c) Exercise prescription for prevention and control of chronic diseases by healthcare providers in Kenya, International Research Journal of Public and Environmental Health Vol.4 (7), pp.148-154, 2017 and d) Critical areas and intervention strategies on emotional and behavioral disabilities amongst primary. She is a member of various professional bodies such as Epidemiology and Biostatistics Society of Kenya, Kenya Girl Guides Association and Federation of African Women Educationalist, Kenya Chapter among others. She is involved in consultancy work in school-based competency assessment, test development and curriculum design, evaluation and community outreach activities.

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2022-11-06

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Vol. 9 No. 1 (2022)

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