Furthering the Story...
Increased sport and physical activity participation is typically treated as an important legacy for hosting a major parasport event. Yet research that examines these claims of positive long-term impacts on sport participation post-event is almost non-existent.
In this research project, we examine the impact of major parasport events on sport participation for persons with disabilities in the host cities once the event is complete.
For purposes of comparison, two cities have been chosen – Glasgow, Scotland which hosted the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada which hosted the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan American Games.
The Project Echo Research Team
The Project Echo Research Team has been working together since 2012. The team came together around a common purpose of conducting research on disability sport events and social change. The project that brought them together focused on two large scale events: the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the 2015 Toronto PanAm/Parapan American Games. The project involved an examination of leveraging strategies around parasport opportunities and accessibility developed for each Games. The team conducted over 40 interviews, 7000+ surveys, 3000+pages of document analysis, and 20 days of onsite observation. The team was afforded unparalleled access to the events and personnel associated with the organizing committees and legacy organizations. Numerous scholarly publications, conference presentations, media spots, and invited presentations resulted from the project. This culminated in the publication of Leveraging Disability Sport Events: Impacts, Promises and Possibilities in 2018.