Active and Included: People with Disabilities in Sport, Physical Activity and Physical Education
A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Public Health and Preventive Medicine".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 4008
Editors
Interests: health-related physical fitness in adolescents; physical activity, disability; down syndrome; body composition
Interests: inclusive physical education; health-related physical activity; disability and sport; intervention programs; physical fitness in children and adolescents with down syndrome
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue entitled “Active and Included: People with Disabilities in Sport, Physical Activity and Physical Education”, which aims to explore the health-related impact of inclusive physical activity interventions for disabled populations.
Disabled individuals face persistent barriers to participation in sport, physical activity, and physical education, which often result in reduced access to health-enhancing opportunities and increased vulnerability to chronic conditions. Despite growing awareness of the importance of inclusion, there remains a significant gap in the implementation of effective, evidence-based interventions that promote both participation and health outcomes among disabled populations.
This research area is of critical importance, as inclusive physical activity programs have the potential to improve physical fitness, enhance mental well-being, support the management of chronic diseases, and reduce health disparities. Moreover, sport and physical education settings offer unique opportunities to foster social engagement, autonomy, and quality of life for disabled individuals across the lifespan.
By focusing on the intersection of inclusion and health, this Special Issue seeks to advance scientific understanding of how adapted and inclusive interventions can contribute to public health goals, promote equity, and inform policy and practice in diverse contexts.
We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, which aims to explore the health-related impact of inclusive sport, physical activity, and physical education interventions for disabled populations.
The primary aim of this Special Issue is to examine how adapted and inclusive physical activity programs contribute to physical and mental health, support the management of chronic conditions, reduce health disparities, and promote overall well-being among disabled individuals. While inclusion remains a central theme, the emphasis is placed on the measurable health outcomes derived from participation in sport and physical activity.
This topic is closely aligned with the scope of Healthcare, which focuses on health promotion, disease prevention, and the improvement of health systems and services. By highlighting interventions that foster both inclusion and health, this Special Issue contributes to the journal’s mission of advancing research that informs public health strategies and clinical practice. This Special Issue is designed to be focused yet interdisciplinary, drawing from fields such as physical education, rehabilitation, public health, and disability studies.
In this Special Issue, original research articles, intervention studies, program evaluations, case studies, systematic reviews, and reflective pieces are welcome. We encourage contributions from both academic researchers and practitioners, including disabled individuals who wish to share their lived experiences.
Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following topics:
- Health outcomes of inclusive sport and physical activity programs;
- Interventions promoting physical and mental well-being in disabled populations;
- Strategies for chronic disease prevention and management through adapted physical activity;
- Inclusive coaching practices and physical education methodologies;
- Community-based health promotion initiatives;
- Use of assistive technologies and adapted equipment to enhance health and participation;
- Reduction of health disparities through inclusive physical activity;
- Qualitative studies on the lived experiences of disabled participants;
- Interdisciplinary approaches to inclusive health promotion.
We welcome original research articles and reviews addressing topics such as health outcomes of adapted physical activity programs, inclusive coaching practices, community-based health promotion initiatives, and the role of assistive technologies in improving well-being. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches, as well as interdisciplinary and international perspectives, are encouraged.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Ariel Villagra
Guest Editor
Dr. Borja Suarez-Villadat
Guest Editor Assistant
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- inclusive physical activity
- disability and health
- physical education
- health promotion
- chronic disease prevention
- assistive technology
- mental well-being
- intervention programs
- physical fitness
- health equity
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