The Positive Impact of Wheelchair Tennis

Involvement in wheelchair tennis through the ITF’s Wheelchair Tennis Development Fund (WTDF) has a significant positive impact, a new report completed by Loughborough University has found.

The WTDF has been helping to grow wheelchair tennis in developing nations over the last ten years, with the aim of giving participants an active and rewarding life. The programme, run by the ITF in partnership with the Johan Cruyff Foundation, will have helped 39 nations by the end of 2013.

The ITF seeks to provide opportunities for everyone to play tennis, participants with an active and rewarding life and promote social inclusion between disabled and non-disabled people, focusing on developing nations. The Fund enables the ITF to assist developing nations to develop wheelchair tennis, increasing the number of people involved and benefiting from the sport.

Involvement results in social and psychological benefits such as improved perceptions of disability and increased independence which transfer into other life domains. In many countries disabled people are at risk of isolation from society and cultural difficulties faced can psychological trauma.

The report noted countries where the WTDF works, disabled people face economic and cultural difficulties. These include ostracism from society, lack of education and employment and high levels of poverty and prejudice, alongside the significant psychological trauma that can come from physical disability, including depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.

Involvement within wheelchair tennis led to numerous psychological and social benefits, the study found, which transferred into other domains of life. The psychological benefits included increased self-confidence, increased opportunities and independence, and improved perceptions of disability. These benefits helped to create employment and educational opportunities.

Wheelchair tennis was also shown to have the potential to improve an individual’s self-perception. The sport also helps to challenge the view society takes on disability. It was noted in some countries that disability is linked to a punishment from God and that through wheelchair tennis this was questioned.

“Many people believe that God did this to them and the reason that they are disabled is something that’s a punishment,” said one respondent. “So, if we get them out the house to the centre it changes how people think about what it is, why a disability is there.”

Players involved in the WTDF experienced an improved social life, both through making friends with people from different countries who they met at tournaments and with others in their own squad. These individuals were made to feel wanted, supported and worth somebody’s time and effort as a result of the support from coaches and officials.

The WTDF and ITF are regulars in the Beyond Sport world, who actively engage in our annual awards.

See full article on the ITF website here

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