Promoting adapted physical activity within kinesiology undergraduate programs: a RE-AIM perspective

ABSTRACT

Disabled persons face an array of barriers to quality physical activity programming. Nonetheless, kinesiology undergraduate programs have historically neglected to focus on disability. Hence, it is unsurprising that ableist norms permeate throughout many kinesiology professions. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the RE-AIM approach as conceptual framework for the implementation of introductory adapted physical activity college courses within kinesiology undergraduate programs. Such an approach could shift the attitudes and knowledge of kinesiology undergraduates such that they are better prepared to support disabled persons in quality physical activity. Each dimension of the RE-AIM approach is examined and discussed in relation to the potential impact and sustainability of integrating adapted physical activity courses into a core curriculum for kinesiology undergraduate programs. We argue this development and expansion of adapted physical activity courses can serve as an important component to begin to address pervasive health disparities and ableist norms that permeate physical activity spaces.

KEYWORDS:

• Infusion
• disability
• physical activity
• physical education
• ableism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Ableism is a set of values, beliefs, processes and practices that promote certain abilities over others, and therefore leading to discrimination, and social oppression toward disabled persons (Wolbring, 2008).

2 The authors conceptualize disability through a human rights model of disability lens, whereby disability is viewed as an experience and that these individuals should be entitled to rights provided to all groups (Degener, 2016).

3 We conceive inclusion in physical activity settings being demonstrated by the subjective feelings of belonging and value from the perspective of disabled people themselves (Haegele et al., 2020a).

4 Though the term 'Adapted’ PA has been contested globally, its usage varies widely. For this paper, we adopt APA as it is the most commonly employed term in literature (Reid, 2003).