Our response to Active Lives Children and Young People Survey 2024-25

This year’s report reveals that inactivity levels for disabled children and young people remain similar to last year. Nearly a third (30.5%) of disabled children who took part in the survey are doing less than 30 minutes of physical activity each day. Findings also show that children with two or more inequality characteristics are the least active. An example of a child with two inequality characteristics would be a disabled girl.

Addressing the unchanged activity levels and inequality challenges for disabled children and young people requires a joint approach across the sector and beyond. We support Sport England’s collective action to drive meaningful change on children’s development and engagement with physical activity.

Responding to the findings, Adam Blaze, CEO of Activity Alliance, said: 

"The fact that one in three disabled children are doing less than 30 minutes of activity a day shows we still have work to do to create opportunities for all. Throughout childhood, sports and activities help form friendships, improve mental and physical health and form the foundations for lifelong participation.

"We know from our own research that attitudes, confidence, and access all play key roles in limiting participation. It is on us all to break down the barriers that limit the opportunities disabled children and young people have in sports and activities.”

"Alongside our knowledge of the overwhelming appetite that young disabled people have to be active, today’s statistics show how important the collective work across the sector is."

Activity levels for disabled children

Inactivity levels remain significantly unchanged for the fifth year. 30.5% of disabled children were less active (doing less than 30 minutes of physical activity each day) this year, compared to 26.2% of non-disabled children. There has been a significant decrease in non-disabled children’s inactivity compared to last year, whilst disabled children remain similarly inactive compared to last year. This means nearly a third of disabled children continue to miss out on the well-established benefits of being active.

Similar to the past two years, and like non-disabled children, disabled children were most likely to be less active in school years 3-4 (ages 7-9), with 37.7% being less active. Additionally, one in 10 (11.5%) disabled children report not participating in at least two different activities on any day of the week.

Impairment differences

Among disabled children and young people, there are variations in activity levels based on impairment types. Children with hearing impairments (54.5%) are the most active, and children with impairments related to ‘co-ordination’ (35.3%) and ‘visual impairments’ (35.2%) are the most likely to be less active. There is a significant increase in inactivity from last year for children with co-ordination and visual impairments.

Similar to last year, half (50%) of disabled children with three or more impairments or long-term health conditions are active. The data does not show a correlation between being less active and the number of impairments. However, there are often challenges with inclusive research for large-scale surveys and data is not included for children from Special Education Needs (SEN) schools.

Our recent research, play, move, belong: Active futures for young disabled people, included children from mainstream and SEN schools. It found that disabled girls, young people with multiple impairments, those aged 14-16 and disabled young people in lower social grades are least likely to feel that sport is for them.

Released on World Children’s Day it explores the lived experiences of young disabled and non-disabled people, along with their parents and caregivers. It highlights a strong desire from disabled children and young people to be more active, when the right opportunities and support are in place.

It also found that attitudes, confidence, and access all play key roles in limiting participation.

The study was supported by a consortium of partners including Sport England, Youth Sport Trust, Access Sport, ParalympicsGB and Loughborough University. You can download an infographic summary of key findings on the Activity Alliance research page.

If you are looking for information and support on engaging children with specific impairments in sport and physical activity, we recommend contacting the National Disability Sports Organisations.

Resources

We continue to support organisations and people who deliver activities to support disabled children and young people to be active. Here are some useful resources:

• Our recent research report, Play, move, belong: Active futures for young disabled people, explores young disabled people’s experiences and perception of sport and physical activity. An infographic summary of key findings is also available.
• Our Learning Hub provides access to CIMSPA accredited learning opportunities and courses to empower everyone with practical tools and creative ideas to make sport, activity and communication more inclu;sive.
• The Inclusive Education Hub has essential resources for education practitioners to support and improve inclusive physical education and school sport delivery.
• Our Inclusive PE activity cards provide teachers and school staff with downloadable, inclusive activity ideas to increase knowledge, skills, and confidence.
• Youth Sport Trust Inclusion Live week offers best practice for the inclusion of young people with SEND in PE, school sport, and physical activity.
• Activity finding websites such as Every Body Moves directs people to home-based and local inclusive activities and clubs within their local area and online.
• BBC Super Movers for Every Body offers a host of exciting free online curriculum-linked resources to engage disabled children and those with special educational needs in sport and activity.
• Paralympics GB’s Equal Play campaign calls for the UK Government to commit to ensuring every child has the same access to PE at school.
• The Chief Medical Officer guidelines recommend that disabled children and young people do 120-180 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity per week, plus three strength and balance activities per week. A coproduced infographic of the key messages and benefits is available.

More research or insight

Please get in touch with the research team at Activity Alliance to discuss the findings: research@activityalliance.org.uk