This thesis examines the potentially restorative power of adaptive sport, based upon the experiences of traumatically injured British military personnel. It investigates how participation in adaptive sport may contribute to personnel’s adaptation of identity and the re-establishment of their meaning of life post-traumatic injury. Through a series of in-depth interviews, I attempted to gain a greater understanding of the experience of and recovery from life-changing injuries, seeking to comprehend the impact of adaptive sport in this process. In line with current research in the field of disability studies, this research adopted a social construction approach. The results of the analysis are set within the social model of disability in order to try to highlight the impacts of the perceptions of disability, embedded in the dominant medical model discourse, on the participant’s lives. Key findings highlighted by this research are i; the influence that the medical model discourse has on the British military mentality and their approach to injury, ii; the process of identity adaptation and the importance of adaptive-sport-participation to provide focus and help individuals realise their potential, iii; the experience of adaptive sport as a tool to bring back meaning of life and iv; the process of ‘normalisation’ and the way individuals are self-determined to restore some sense of normality by participating in adaptive sport and positive adaptation to trauma, whereby adaptive sport acts as a tool to set the right conditions for individuals to experience positive phenomena. Throughout this thesis, I have attempted to provide an open and reflexive account of the whole research process in order to make the reader aware of the possible effects of my own background on the research outcomes.

Thesis (PhD (Sport Science))—University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Sport performance management has emerged as a specialization in sport science that is focused on providing the athlete and coach with optimal information about training programmes and the support services needed in order to pursue excellence. As a more professional approach to disability sport has grown with the international status of the Paralympics, sport performance management dealing specifically with athletes with disabilities requires development. The purpose of this study was to focus on documenting the delivery of sport science support for three cyclists with cerebral palsy training for the Athens Paralympics. A case study approach was taken in this research that provided sport science support to three cyclists. Documentation of the training experience of each cyclist over 18 months of training leading up to the Games, was accomplished by quantification of daily training as well as periodic laboratory testing. A comprehensive picture was drawn of training intensities, modalities and frequencies for each cyclist during each macro-cycle, with special attention to the following three variables. Power output and lactate Power output and VO2 max Peak and mean sprint power output (Wingate test) Two of the three cyclists perceived the support they received to have been critical to the success of their preparation. The investigator concluded that sport management has an important role to play in the development of disability sport at the elite level, and that a lot more hard training is possible for cyclists with cerebral palsy, than some coaches may have previously believed, especially in terms of intensity and duration.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Engagement in physical activity is a basic human right and has numerous benefits for mental well-being. Persons with disabilities are often denied this right due to a number of barriers existing on physiological, psychological and structural levels. Adolescents with motor impairments may be even further marginalised due to the physical nature of their impairment as well as being at a developmental stage where their opinions may not be taken into account based on their age. Research that has been conducted in this area has mostly focused on the accounts of parents and teachers with little voice being given to adolescents. This research aimed to explore the lived experiences of a group of adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) and their involvement in physical activity. The sample group consisted of 15 adolescents with CP between the ages of 12 and 18 in the Western Cape. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants. In addition, three staff members were interviewed in order to add a secondary layer of data to the study. The interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis which aims to give voice to participants and to make meaning of these accounts through interpretation by the researcher. Five major themes emerged from the data, namely: (1) “When they call me cripple” – what it means to have a motor impairment, (2) My experience of physical activity – perceived benefits, facilitators and barriers to participation, (3) Protective factors and coping strategies employed by participants to overcome barriers to participation, (4) What I would like and what I recommend, and (5) Perceptions of staff members at the school. These themes were discussed through a theoretical framework focused on the psychological and social factors which influence an individual’s participation in (or avoidance of) physical activity. While this theoretical framework is based on able-bodied persons, it was interesting to compare the experiences of adolescents with CP. The findings were further discussed in comparison to the relevant literature, although the purpose of qualitative research is not to necessarily generalise findings. This discussion yielded similarities and differences in terms of experiences relating to barriers and facilitators to participation. In addition, the findings supported the notion that adolescents with disabilities know what they want and have valuable input to offer in terms of their own experiences. Recommendations include further studies being conducted with groups of adolescents with disabilities other than CP as well as in other areas of South Africa. This could give a more rounded understanding of the experiences of adolescents with disabilities and could better inform projects that could be developed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Betrokkenheid in fisiese aktiwiteit is ‘n basiese mensereg en het verskeie voordele vir verstandelike gesondheid. Mense wat gestremdhede het word dikwels ontken van hierdie reg, as gevolg van getalle struikelblokke wat bestaan op fisiologiese, sielkundige en strukturele vlakke. Adolessente met motoriese gestremdhede mag dalk nog meer gemarginaliseerde word as gevolg van die fisiese aard van hul gestremdheid, asook die feit dat hulle in ‘n ontwikkelings stadium is waar hulle opinie dalk nie in ag geneem word nie weens hulle ouderdom. Navorsing wat uitgevoer is in hierdie gebied het meestal gefokus op die mededeling van die ouers en onderwysers en het min stem gegee aan die adolessente self. Hierdie navorsing het daarop gemik om die beleefde ervaringe van ‘n groep adolessente met serebrale verlamming en hulle betrokkenheid in fisiese aktiwiteit te ondersoek. Die monster groep het bestaan uit 15 adolessente met serebrale verlamming tussen die ouderdomme van 12 en 18 in die Wes-Kaap. Semi- gestruktureerde onderhoude was gedoen met die deelnemers. Bykomend is daar ook onderhoude gedoen met drie personeellede om ‘n sekondêre vlak van data aan die studie te verleen. Die onderhoude was geanaliseer deur gebruik te maak van interpreterende fenomenologiese analise, wat daarop gemik is om ‘n stem te gee aan die deelnemers en om sin te maak van hulle beskrywinge deur interpretasie van die navorser. Vyf groot temas het na vore gekom uit die data, naamliks: (1) Wanneer hulle my verlam noem – wat dit beteken om ‘n motorise gestremdheid te hê, (2) My ondervinding van fisiese aktiwiteit – waargenome voordele, fasiliteerders en struikelblokke tot deelname, (3) Beskermende faktore en hanteringsvaardighede wat gebruik word deur die deelnemers om struikelblokke tot deelname te oorkom, (4) Waarvan ek sal hou en wat ek voorstel, en (5) Persepsies van personeellede by die skool. Hierdie temas was bespreek deur ‘n teoreties raamwerk wat gefokus is op die sielkundige en sosiale faktore wat ‘n individu se deelname aan (of vermyding van) fisiese aktiwiteit beïnvloed. Alhoewel hierdie teoretiese raamwerk gebaseer is op ongestremde persone, was dit interessant om die ondervindinge te vergelyk met adolessente met serebrale verlamming. Die bevindinge is verder bespreek in vergelyking met relevante literatuur, al is die doel van kwalitatiewe navorsing nie noodwendig om bevindinge te veralgemeen nie. Die bespreking het ooreenkomste, so wel as verskille ten opsigte van ondervindinge met betrekking tot hindernisse en fasiliteerders tot deelname opgelewer. Daarbenewens verleen die bevindinge ook ondersteuning aan die idee dat adolessente met gestremdhede weet wat hulle wil hê en dat hulle waardevolle insette het om te lewer in terme van hulle eie ervarings. Aanbevelings sluit in dat daar verdere studies gedoen moet word met ‘n groep adolessente wat ‘n gestremdheid anders as serebrale verlamming het, asook om verdere studies te doen in ander areas van Suid-Afrika. Dit sal ‘n meer afgeronde begrip van die ondervindinge van adolessente met gestremdhede lewer en sal ook beter instaat wees om projekte in te lig wat dalk ontwikkel mag word.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Regina, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 127-135). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Regina, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 127-185).

Thesis (MSporwet)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

M.A. / The study presents a narrative exploration of the potential offered by SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) diving as a therapeutic wilderness adventure context bridging Deaf and hearing experiences. It is structured as an emerging narrative in three parts. Part I explores the philosophical and theoretical literature with a view to providing an overview of the epistemological frameworks against which the study is presented and which could result in a sense of tension between modern/post modern discourses within the reader/author. Part II reviews the current literature pertaining to: Deafness and Deaf/hearing relations, contrasting the medical-pathological perspective of Deafness with a socio-cultural model and examining perceptions regarding the development of a Deaf cultural identity, the articulation of meaning and culturally affirmative proposals with regard to the integration of Deaf and hearing experiences; adventure, wilderness programmes and practices as agents of therapeutic change with particular reference to the Deaf and other disabled communities; and the potential application of SCUBA diving and the underwater environment as metaphorically different agents of therapeutic change and particularly as they relate to Deaf/hearing relations. Part III attempts to provide a multi-levelled dialogical space for the voices of Deaf and hearing participants in the study to emerge and reflect on their lived experiences of their participation in a SCUBA diver course and its potential impact on lived experiences and personal narratives and metaphors. The study is written as a post modern text and explores Bakhtin’s (1973) theories of dialogism as a basis for presenting a polyphonic text.

Magistro darbo santrauka Darbe atlikta teorinė taikomosios fizinės ir sportinės veiklos poveikio neįgaliųjų gyvenimo kokybės gerinimo sampratos ir regėjimo negali�� turinčių asmenų taikomosios fizinės ir sportinės veiklos ypatumų analizė. Iškelta hipotezė, kad, taikant taikomąją fizinę ir sportinę veiklą, galima pagerinti regėjimo negalią turinčių asmenų psichosocialinę sveikatą, biosocialinių įgūdžių, fizinio pajėgumo rodiklius. Hipotezė iškelta remiantis konceptualiu teiginiu: aktyvi fizinė veikla ir sportas turi teigiamą poveikį visapusiškam asmens vystymuisi. Anketinės apklausos metodu buvo atliktas tyrimas, kurio tikslas – identifikuoti taikomosios fizinės ir sportinės veiklos poveikio ypatumus regėjimo negalią turinčių asmenų gyvenimo kokybės aspektu. Atlikta statistinė (aprašomoji dažnių, vidurkių) duomenų analizė. Tyrime dalyvavo 101 regėjimo negalią turintis respondentas, iš jų 55 aktyviai sportuojantys ir 46 neaktyviai. Empirinėje dalyje nagrinėjami sportuojančiųjų regėjimo negalią turinčių asmenų sveikata, fizinis aktyvumas, psichosocialinė sveikata, socializacijos agentai, požiūris į negalią, taikomosios fizinės ir sportinės veiklų poveikio priemonių veiksmingumas. Svarbiausios empirinio tyrimo išvados: 1. Sportuojantys regėjimo negalią turintys asmenys sportine veikla tenkina vieną iš svarbiausių socialinių poreikių – bendravimo poreikį; tai savo ruožtu gerina jų gyvenimo kokybę. 2. Neaktyviai sportuojantys neįgalieji sveikatą, fizinį aktyvumą ir fizinį... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The Master’s Degree Thesis Summary In the present thesis, there is performed the theoretical analysis of the concept of the effect of applied physical and sports activities on improvement of the life quality for the disabled and of the peculiarities of the applied physical and sports activities of people with vision disabilities. There is raised a hypothesis, that applying physical and sports activities, it is possible to improve the psychosocial health and rates of biosocial skills and physical fitness of people with vision disabilities. The hypothesis is raised with reference to the conceptual statement: active physical activities and sports have positive effect on comprehensive development of the person. Using the method of questionnaire survey, the research was performed. Its objective was to identify the peculiarities of the effect of the applied physical and sports activities in the aspect of life quality improvement for people with vision disabilities. The statistical (descriptive of frequencies, averages) analysis of data was performed. 101 respondents with vision disabilities participated in the research. 55 of them went in for sports actively and 46 – inactively. In the empiric part of the thesis, there are considered the health, physical activeness, psychosocial health, agents of socialisation, approach to the disability people with vision disabilities, who go in for sports, as well as the efficiency of the measures of the applied physical and sports... [to full text]

Thesis (M Sport Sc (Sport Science))--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / Talent identification has been defined as the process by which children are measured on a number of physical and performance variables that are perceived to be a requisite for success within a given sport (Abbott & Collins, 2002:158). One important element in talent identification testing is the capacity to interpret scores. This requires the development of relevant norms for the populations groups who will be involved. The purpose of this study was to generate norms for the interpretation of scores earned by children with disabilities on a basic talent identification screening test battery. The study was focused only on children with intellectual impairments, children with hearing impairments and children with visual impairments. The Talent Search test battery as prescribed by DISSA (Disability Sport South Africa, 2002) found in their screening manual for basic sporting ability of persons with disabilities was used to assess subjects on performance variables. This included body height, sitting height, arm span, body mass, eye-hand coordination, sound localization and eye- hand coordination (for the those with VI), upper body power, leg power, agility, running speed and aerobic fitness (cardiovascular endurance). The group of 140 subjects included 49 children with intellectual impairments (N=27 males and N=22 females), 58 children with hearing impairments (N=35 males and N=23 females) and 33 children with a visual impairment of which 11 (N=7 males and N=4 females) needed to run with a guide and 22 (N=17 males and N=5 females) where independent runners. The descriptive data was processed to produce percentile tables. One problem area was found with testing the eye-hand coordination of children with intellectual impairment, where more than 50% of the children were not able to obtain a score at all. It was also found that some children with hearing impairments had slow running times for the agility run test item, which led to the conclusion that vestibular etiology must be identified prior to the interpretation of test scores.

No description available.