Annual Disability and Activity Survey

Annual Disability and Activity Survey 2025-26

The survey, now in its sixth year, is the primary source of insight for organisations working to improve disabled people’s opportunities in sports and activities. It complements Sport England’s Active Lives Adult Survey and provides greater detail on important issues to disabled people.

The survey was conducted by IFF Research between September and October 2025. It combines responses from more than 1,000 disabled people and 1,000 non-disabled people across the UK with in-depth discussions about the realities of being active.

This year, our report focuses on five key areas: 

1. Participation and inclusion
2. Health, wellbeing and social connection
3. Cost and access
4. Representation, belonging and involvement
5. Accessible spaces

Key findings:

• Disabled people are less likely to feel they have the opportunity to be as active as they would like (52% compared to 74% of non-disabled people), despite being more likely to want to do more physical activity (67% compared to 54% of non-disabled people). 
• Disabled people consistently reported poorer wellbeing outcomes than non-disabled people, with higher levels of anxiety, lower life satisfaction and greater feelings of loneliness. Nearly seven in ten (68%) disabled people who experience loneliness said being active could help them feel less lonely. 
• Almost half (46%) of disabled people said the increased cost of living has reduced how active they are, while 59% said the cost of activities influences how they choose to be active. 
• Disabled people are less likely to feel they belong in sport and activity settings and less likely to see people like themselves volunteering, coaching or working in the sector. Participants said seeing disabled people in leadership and delivery roles helps create environments where people feel understood, welcomed and valued. 
• Disabled people prefer to be active outdoors (39% in green spaces and 28% in blue spaces), at home (31% online and 25% not online) and indoors at a leisure or sports centre (28%). Disabled people described choosing activity spaces and sessions less on preference alone and more on what felt manageable, predictable and safe.

The report concludes with four recommendations. To be inclusive and meet disabled people’s needs organisations across sport and physical activity sector need to: 

1. Ensure inclusive practice. 
2. Be affordable and flexible. 
3. Create a culture of belonging. 
4. Ensure disabled people have choice. 

Use #ActivityAllianceSurvey to share your thoughts about this report on social media. Find us on LinkedIn.