Primary school teachers attitude and other barriers to inclusion of children living with disability in sports and physical activities in Nigeria

Abstract Background Children living with disabilities often face challenges in participating in sports and physical activities in schools, which can negatively impact their health and well-being. This is because schools have been considered as one of the most important and suitable primary social institutions for promoting physical activity in children. Aims This study seeks to critically examine the determinants influencing the inclusion of children with disabilities in sports and physical activity participation within Nigerian primary schools. Methodology This cross-sectional study involved primary school teachers from selected public and private schools in Ibadan, Nigeria, using purposive and consecutive sampling. Data were collected via adapted, validated questionnaires assessing attitudes and barriers to inclusion. Results The mean age of all participants (52 females and 22 males) was 41.51±1.175 years. Over half of the participants (52.7%) had a negative attitude towards inclusion of children with disability in sports. There was no significant association (p>0.05) between each of the participants' age, sex, years of teaching experience and academic qualification and attitude towards inclusion of children with disability in sports and physical activity. The major factors identified as barriers to inclusion were lack of opportunity for children with disability to participate in sports, unavailability of special aids or adapted sports equipment, poor fitness, fear of mockery and rejection, unwillingness of parents to allow their children to participate in sports, lack of trained therapists, inaccessibility of school buildings and playgrounds, lack of schools’ policy on assistance with disability to participate in sports. Conclusions It was concluded that a number of factors served as barriers to inclusion of children with disabilities in sports and physical activity and primary school teachers in Nigeria have negative attitude towards inclusion of children with disability in sports and physical activities.