Over the past few years, women’s sports have seen significant progress in media coverage. As highlighted by UN Women, women’s sports media coverage worldwide has surged from a stagnant 5 to around 16% in 2022, with projections to reach 20% by 2025 if trends continue. In the UK, the success of the Lionesses during Euro 2021 played a pivotal role in this rise in attention to women’s sports. However, while women’s sports are gaining recognition, disability sports still face significant barriers to consistent media visibility, despite the increasing general focus on inclusivity in mainstream sports.
A Surge In Awareness of Underrepresented Sports, Yet Disability Sport Still Struggles For Visibility
Despite progress in women’s sports media coverage in the UK, disability sports remains a niche, gaining significant attention only during events like the Paralympic Games. Once the Games end, however, coverage of disabled athletes often fades back into obscurity. While there is some movement toward greater inclusivity in media, this sporadic coverage fails to reflect the year-round dedication and achievement of athletes with disabilities.
The potential for disability sports to become more mainstream lies in the media’s ability to portray these athletes for what they truly are—world-class athletes with remarkable skills, rather than merely “inspirational” figures overcoming adversity. As Channel 4’s coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics reached 18.5 million individuals, equating to 30.4% of the TV population, broadcasters have proven that there is a genuine appetite for more accessible and inclusive sports. This coverage included improvements such as British Sign Language and audio descriptions, further demonstrating the importance of accessibility in sports media.
The challenge lies not just in the athletes’ visibility, but in how disability is portrayed in the media. Journalists can often frame disabilities as obstacles that athletes must overcome, rather than recognizing the athletes for their skill, dedication, and athletic prowess. This narrative can undermine the perception of disabled athletes as equal competitors, contributing to a culture where their accomplishments are viewed as “extraordinary” simply because of their disability, rather than “normal” as with their able-bodied peers.
Channel 4 shifted its approach from the typical narrative of “Superhumans” and the idea of competitors “overcoming” their disabilities to a campaign for the Paralympics 2024 that challenges viewers to rethink their perceptions of these elite athletes.
The Reality of Professional Disability Sport: A Struggle for Recognition and Support
While major events like the Paralympics draw attention to elite disabled athletes, the lack of consistent media coverage and financial support remains a major issue. British para-cyclist and one of the most decorated Paralympic athletes of all time Dame Sarah Storey has spoken candidly since the Paralympics in 2024 about the financial difficulties para-athletes face, noting that very few, outside of sports like tennis, receive sufficient funding to pursue professional careers. Most para-athletes juggle their athletic careers with regular jobs, a reality that severely limits their training and performance potential. The lack of consistent, year-round coverage means that disability sports often lack the revenue to support athletes at the professional level.
Another example of recognition, Alfie Hewitt made history by becoming only the second male player in history to win all four tennis Grand Slams in both singles and doubles. Yet, while this achievement was celebrated in the disability sport community, it didn’t receive the same widespread attention as similar feats in able-bodied tennis. Alfie had been previously listed for BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2023, yet as with many disabled athletes, didn’t make it into the final 3. Only Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson in 2000 and Jonnie Peacock in 2017 have made the top 3 since it began in 1954.
Increased media coverage, similar to what women’s sports are currently experiencing, could help elevate the visibility of these athletes and attract much-needed sponsorships and endorsements. The challenge lies in breaking the cycle of sporadic coverage and shifting attitudes so that disabled athletes are seen and treated on par with their able-bodied counterparts.
Sponsorship and Brand Activation Supporting Change
In addition to media attention, brands are increasingly recognising the value of supporting disability athletes and strength in storytelling. Vodafone’s PLAYER.Connect platform, which extends to elite athletes like Alfie Hewitt and the Men’s British Wheelchair Basketball team, exemplifies how commercial partnerships can play a key role in increasing visibility and supporting athletes. By leveraging their sponsorships to promote disability sports, brands can help create a more inclusive sports culture, one that recognises the talent and achievements of athletes with disabilities as part of the mainstream conversation.
Some brands are also supporting their disabled athletes to speak out on the lack of representation across the disabled community, such as those with learning disabilities or hearing impairments, who still have minimal representation in major sporting events. The recent “Dare to Defy: Powered By Nissan” docu-series on Prime Video, featuring Nissan’s ambassadors Richard Whitehead MBE and Adele Roberts, explores disability representation and inclusivity in sport. However, as Richard Whitehead points out during the series: “(true inclusivity) isn’t just about empowering individuals with disabilities; it’s about how the public and stakeholders in sport perceive and elevate the achievements of disabled athletes”.
For instance, while the Paralympics offers a platform for athletes, it doesn’t fully incorporate all disabilities. The absence of events for the deaf community and limited opportunities for athletes with learning disabilities only reinforces the exclusion within the wider sporting world.
For change to be meaningful, we need to ensure that all forms of disability are represented in competitive sports. This includes creating more events in the Paralympics, but also expanding opportunities outside of these high-profile tournaments. Representation in non-paralympic sports, such as wheelchair tennis and basketball, must become just as normalised and supported as able-bodied sports.
Conclusion: The Road to True Inclusivity
Disability sports have made strides in recent years, but they still face significant challenges in terms of visibility, representation, and funding.
For disability sports to thrive and be seen as a central part of the sporting world, there must be a shift in how it is represented and supported. This includes not only more consistent media coverage but also greater inclusivity in sporting events and more financial investment. If these changes are made, we could see a future where disabled athletes are celebrated year-round, not just during the Paralympics, and where their achievements are celebrated as equal to those of able-bodied athletes.
Cited:
https://www.unwomen.org/en/paris-2024-olympics-new-era-for-women-in-sport/facts-and-figures-women-in-sport
https://www.vodafone.co.uk/newscentre/press-release/player-connect-now-supports-wheelchair-athletes-international-summer-competitions/#:~:text=Vodafone%20has%20expanded%20its%20landmark,been%20available%20for%20wheelchair%20athletes.
https://www.channel4.com/press/news/channel-4s-paris-2024-paralympic-games-marketing-campaign-challenges-patronising
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dare-to-Defy/dp/B0DN25KCCNhttps://www.independent.co.uk/sport/london-rio-manchester-city-adele-roberts-lgbtq-b2654513.html
https://www.vodafone.co.uk/newscentre/press-release/player-connect-now-supports-wheelchair-athletes-international-summer-competitions/
