ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to seek to understand and describe the experiences of university students taking part in the Paralympic Skill Lab (PSL) program in relation to shaping attitudes and perceptions of disability and disability sport. The researchers adopted an interpretivist ontology, where we attempted to make sense of our participants’ interpretations of their lived experiences in the PSL. Data from 35 students were collected via focus group interviews and reflective essays, and analyzed inductively using a three-step approach. Three interrelated themes were constructed based on the analysis that were related to the participants’ experience during the PSL event. In the first theme, ‘My mindset definitely changed’: The power of contact, participants described the manner in which PSL shifted their perspective on individuals with disabilities. The second theme, ‘This moved me so much to be the change’: A call to action, concerned participants desire to implement tangible, actionable intentions and plans as a result of participating in PSL. The third theme, ‘They can shine as much as normal athletes’: Expressions of ableism in the words of participants, depicts the ableist paradigm through which the participants ascribed meaning to their experience, showcasing an idealized notion of normal. These findings support assertions that participation in sport-based disability awareness programs can enhance participant knowledge, attitudes, and perspectives toward persons with disabilities and disability sport.

摘要

本研究的目的是寻求了解和描述参加残奥会技能实验室 (PSL) 项目的大学生在塑造对残疾和残疾运动的态度和认知方面的经历。研究人员采用了解释主义本体论，我们试图理解参与者对他们在 PSL 中生活经历的解释。通过焦点小组访谈和反思论文收集了 35 名学生的数据，并使用三步法进行了归纳分析。基于与参与者在 PSL 活动期间的经历相关的分析，构建了三个相互关联的主题。在第一个主题中，“我的心态肯定改变了”：接触的力量，参与者描述了 PSL 如何改变他们对残疾人的看法。第二个主题，“这让我非常感动be the change '：行动号召，相关参与者希望通过参与 PSL 来实施切实可行的意图和计划。第三个主题“他们可以像普通运动员一样闪耀”：用参与者的话表达能力主义，描绘了参与者将意义赋予他们的经历的能力主义范式，展示了一种理想化的正常观念。这些发现支持这样的断言，即参与基于运动的残疾意识计划可以提高参与者对残疾人和残疾运动的知识、态度和观点。