Glasgow 2026 also featured the largest integrated para sport programme in Commonwealth Games history, with 47 para medal events. By bringing disabled and non-disabled athletes together on the same stage, the competition raised the profile of para sport and challenged perceptions about who sport is for. For children living with disabilities, seeing athletes who look like them compete at the highest level can be a powerful reminder that sport is a place where they belong.
We spoke to Dr Janine Coates, an expert in equity and inclusion in physical activity and sport, about how major sporting events can create more inclusive opportunities for the next generation and what still needs to be done to ensure every child has the chance to take part.
"When disabled young people rarely see people like themselves in sport, it reinforces the idea that those spaces are not meant for them. In contrast, seeing disabled athletes competing on one of sport’s largest international stages can make the sport feel attainable and accessible. While representation does not solve structural inequalities, it can challenge assumptions about who belongs in sport.
"The real legacy of the Games though, is not what happens during the competition, but what happens afterwards. Success should be measured by whether more disabled children feel able to participate in sport in their schools, communities and local clubs.
"Research has consistently shown lower levels of participation among disabled young people compared with their non-disabled peers, but these differences should not be understood solely as a consequence of impairment. Obstacles often emerge from sporting environments that fail to accommodate disabled young people’s wide range of preferences, needs and experiences.
"Schools are central to this conversation. For many children, physical education (PE) is their first encounter with organised sport and can mould their attitude towards physical activity throughout life. Yet disabled young people, particularly those attending mainstream schools, often report negative experiences of PE and, in some cases, exclusion from lessons altogether. Activity Alliance's most recent report found that only 26% of disabled young people report they have opportunity to be active at school all of the time compared with 38% of non-disabled young people.
"While many teachers and coaches are committed to inclusive practice, they often report feeling underprepared to support disabled pupils effectively, due to limited training and broader systemic issues. Developing environments where disabled pupils genuinely feel they belong will require a broader rethink of how PE is designed and delivered.”
Discussing how major competitions such as the Commonwealth Games could help to make a real difference to access to sport, Dr Coates commented:
"A meaningful legacy would be one in which the representation of athletes acts as the starting point for participation rather than a fleeting moment of visibility.
“Representation, when done in a way that shifts away from the stigmatising narrative that disability is something tragic or to be overcome, or that disabled athletes are in some way ‘superhuman’, can help to shift people’s perspectives and challenge ableist attitudes toward disability.
"Visibility must also be matched by developing clear pathways towards physical activity and sport for disabled young people, so they know where they can go to be active. School and community sport partnerships are important for this. Taking time to understand the aspirations of disabled youth and the ways that they enjoy being active and supporting them to realise those aspirations is an important step towards building a sense of belonging, acceptance and value.
"Teachers and sports practitioners also need to recognise that not all children will have the same goals, abilities or motivations when it comes to physical activity and sport, so taking the time to work with them can help foster an environment where disabled young people feel seen and listened to.
"The most meaningful legacy would be a generation of disabled young people who feel sport is something they can enjoy, shape and succeed in on their own terms. The Games can inspire, but lasting change will depend on what policymakers do next to better support schools and communities to realise this ambition."
ENDS
For further comments or an interview with Dr Janine Coates, please email the PR team or call on 01509 222224.
For all the latest Loughborough news around the Commonwealth Games, visit the dedicated website here: www.lboro.ac.uk/sport/commonwealth-games-2026/
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