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Author:Cheng-Chen Pan;David Legg
Period/Date/Page:Vol. 27 No. 1 (2025/03) Pp. i-x
DOI:10.5297/ser.202503_27(1).0000
Application of a Long-Term Development Model in Disability Sports: From Theory to Practice
Abstract:Approximately 15% of the global population has some form of disability, yet their sport participation rates remain low, a phenomenon closely related to systemic barriers and insufficient support. In recent years, the long-term development (LTD) model has evolved from emphasizing athletes' specialized training to becoming a more inclusive developmental framework, centered on the whole person and integrating inclusive design principles throughout mainstream sport development. One example is Canada's "No Accidental Champions" program, which was based on an earlier generic LTD model, and then added two prestages, "Awareness" and "First Involvement," specifically designed for individuals with disabilities, and thus creating more appropriate entry pathways. This paper aims to examine the theoretical foundations and practical strategies of this LTD model in disability sports in a Taiwan context. Results reveal that parasport participation is often affected by insufficient information and lack of professional guidance, while talent identification requires consideration of disability adaptations and classification systems, making it significantly more complex than in able-bodied sports. The LTD model integrates three pathways-competitive, recreational, and active-for-life-responding to the diverse needs of different individuals with disabilities and transcending single-minded competitive orientations. Talent identification and classification mechanisms in parasport particularly require cross-domain integration of medical, educational, and sport expertise to maximize effectiveness. With the important policy opportunity presented by the establishment of Taiwan's Ministry of Sports and Department of Adaptive Sports, this paper proposes three strategic recommendations, providing an integrative framework for Taiwan's disability sports policy planning and implementing the core value that "disability sports rights are human rights." (Full text)


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