New report finds disabled people’s activity could contribute £6.2k per person a year to society

On International Day of Disabled People, Activity Alliance releases new research revealing the social value in disabled people being active and the societal cost of inequality.

Building on Sport England’s recent report for the whole population, the charity found there is £6,200 social value per disabled person per year if supported to meet the official Chief Medical Officer's guidelines of 150 plus minutes a week. This works out three to four times’ the value of non-disabled people being active. To give a comparison of size, this figure is almost equivalent to being employed rather than unemployed, which has a social value of £7,000.

The figures show supporting disabled people to take part in even light activity could make a huge difference. The charity says this is even more revealing when looking at disabled people’s activity habits as light activity does not officially count towards weekly active minutes in CMO guidelines.

Activity Alliance's latest strategy ‘We all belong’ is also launched. Honorary President Tanni, Baroness Grey-Thompson said:

"We all belong in sports and activities. Yet many disabled children and adults don’t feel that they do. At school, in the local park or working out in a nearby gym, we all have the right to welcoming, inclusive, and accessible opportunities. The reality is that society remains an unfair and unjust place for many disabled people. We must not accept this."