Delivering an inclusive running session

As a qualified coach or leader you are encouraged to adopt an inclusive approach to planning and delivering your sessions. This means considering the all the different needs and abilities within the group and planning activities where everyone is involved and has a chance to improve.

Key to successfully including a disabled person is communication. By establishing what specific support and adaptions are needed, if any, you will be able to successfully include them within your session.

Click here to access the SCUK Inclusive Coaching – Quick Guide

If you are involved in coaching or leading running activities then there is a chance that you have already coached a disabled runner without knowing it. 16% of working adults are disabled and the majority of impairments are not visible. Less than 8% of disabled people use a wheelchair. There are many hidden impairments including about 1.5 million people in the UK with a learning disability, about 1.86 million people with sight loss (1 in 30), 14 million people who are D/deaf or Hard of hearing (1 in 7) and 1 in 4 adults experience a mental health problem each year.

However, participation among disabled people in sport and running is significantly lower than in the overall population. Therefore different approaches can sometimes be needed to attract and include disabled people. England Athletics firmly believes that running can enhance the lives of disabled people and we are committed to growing opportunities for everyone to experience running.

A number of useful resources are currently available on our website (www.englandathletics.org/disability-athletics/resources) including:

• Inclusive Athletics Guidance for Clubs & Run England Groups. This factsheet provides some useful guidance and advice about alternative and innovative ways of engaging disabled people to support them to become physically active.
• Visually Impaired Friendly Athletics Resource
• Athletics and Mental Health Resource
• Deaf Friendly Athletics Resource