Adapted Physical Activities for Adults with Disabilities (DST219)

This course examines the role of physical activity in promoting functional health and preventing chronic disease across middle and later adulthood, with particular attention to people with disabilities. Students will explore how physical activity contributes to healthy ageing, the barriers and facilitators to participation for older adults with diverse abilities, and the principles of adaptive physical activity and inclusive sport. The course integrates perspectives from disability studies, gerontology, exercise science, and public health to critically examine assumptions about ageing bodies, challenge ableist narratives of decline, and explore how adapted and inclusive physical activity programmes can support autonomy, social participation, and quality of life. Students will engage with evidence on chronic disease prevention, functional independence, and the psychosocial benefits of movement, while centring the lived experiences and preferences of older adults with disabilities.

• Introduction - Physical Activity, Aging, and Disability
• Physiological Aging and the Benefits of Physical Activity
• Chronic Disease Prevention and Management Through Physical Activity
• Physical Activity for Musculoskeletal Health
• Cognitive Health, Brain Fitness, and Dementia Prevention
• Mental Health, Well-being, and Psychosocial Benefits
• Disability, Impairment, and Adaptive Physical Activity Principles
• Inclusive and Adaptive Sport for Older Adults
• Barriers and Facilitators to Physical Activity Participation
• Programme Design and Delivery - Creating Inclusive Opportunities

• Describe the physiological changes associated with aging and how physical activity modifies age-related decline in cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, metabolic, and neurological systems.
• Explain the principles and history of adaptive physical activity and disability sport, including classification systems, modification strategies, and inclusive programming approaches.
• Compare different models of physical activity program delivery for older adults with disabilities, including community-based, clinical, technology-mediated, and sportbased approaches.
• Apply task analysis and adaptation principles to modify physical activities and sports for individuals with varying functional abilities and health conditions.
• Design an age-friendly and disability-inclusive physical activity programmes that addresses specific health goals while respecting participant autonomy and preferences.
• Analyse policies, environments and community infrastructure in terms of their support for active aging among people with diverse abilities.