The different user groups who may participate in sport, i.e.
○ disabled
○ teenagers
○ children
○ unemployed/economically disadvantaged
○ retired people/people over 50
○ families with young children
○ ethnic minorities
○ working singles and couples
○ single parents
The possible barriers which affect participation in sport (with reference to the different user groups), i.e.
○ employment/time (e.g. not much free time available)
○ work restrictions and family commitments (e.g. women still seen as bringing up the family and not being involved in sport)
○ disposable income (e.g. cannot afford cost of participation)
○ accessibility of facilities/equipment (e.g. transport not available, no disabled access)
○ lack of role models (e.g. few ethnic role models, few female role models)
○ provision of activities (e.g. limited activities on offer which do not meet the requirements of the prospective participant)
○ awareness of activity provision (e.g. what is currently available)
○ portrayal of gender issues by the media (e.g. mainly male sports shown on TV, mainly male presenters of sport programmes)
The solutions to barriers which affect participation in sport, i.e.
○ provision, i.e. – programming sessions for use by different user groups (e.g. sessions for wheelchair sports) – providing appropriate activity options for the demands of specific user groups (e.g. different age groups want different options) – planning of times to suit different user groups (e.g. for parents with young children, mid-morning after the school run)
○ promotion, i.e. – targeted promotion (e.g. by advertising in appropriate places to increase visibility to different user groups) – using role models to encourage participation among different user groups – initiatives aimed at promoting participation and inclusion (e.g. free swimming for under-16s and over-60s)
○ access, i.e. – access to facilities (e.g. provision of transport in rural areas, ramps for wheelchair access to buildings) – access to equipment (e.g. a hoist for swimming pool access) – sensible pricing/concessions (e.g. reduction of charges for unemployed people or young children)