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January 18, 2008

Dear Senator/Representative:

We are writing to discuss the important need to gather concrete data to understand the state of physical education and athletic opportunities and participation for individuals with disabilities in our educational institutions.

More than 50 million¹ (1 in 5) people in the United States have documented disabilities,² yet we know that individuals with disabilities are not getting the same amount of physical education and athletic opportunities as individuals without disabilities. Individuals with disabilities are almost three times as likely to be sedentary as individuals without disabilities (29% vs. 10%)³. In fact, 56% of people with disabilities do not engage in any physical activity⁴ and only 23% of people with disabilities are active for at least 30 minutes three or more times per week.⁵

We know that the benefits of physical education and sports participation are significant for girls and women. In addition to higher self-esteem⁶ and reduced health risks, girls and women who participate in sports have higher graduation rates⁷ and are less likely to be involved in an unintended pregnancy⁸.

We assert that the benefits of physical education, activity and sports participation for people with disabilities are just as critical, if not more. Physical education improves academic success, builds self-esteem, and prevents health problems. It reduces the risk of developing heart disease, helps control weight, builds lean muscle, reduces fat⁹ and prevents osteoporosis.¹⁰ Additionally, sport is where skills like teamwork, goal-setting, the pursuit of excellence in performance and other achievement-oriented behaviors necessary for success in the workplace are developed.

We know that the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the National Federation of State High School Associations do not officially sanction any intercollegiate or interscholastic program, event or competition for individuals with disabilities, yet we do not know the numbers of unsanctioned programs and competitions that exist.

At a time when childhood obesity is on the rise and one in six children are obese and at risk of related health problems,¹¹ and one in three children are overweight,¹² and we are spending $117 billion nationwide treating the direct and indirect costs associated with obesity,¹³ it is imperative that we ensure that all students have the opportunity to derive the important benefits from sports and physical education participation. To Support Study on the State of Physical Education and Sports Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities achieve this goal, we must first document how many students with disabilities are receiving physical education and extracurricular sports opportunities in educational settings.

We, the undersigned, support the initiation of a Government Accounting Office Study to examine the state of participation opportunities for individuals with disabilities in physical education and sports in our educational institutions.

Sincerely,

BlazeSports America
Women's Sports Foundation
Alegent Health Immanuel Rehabilitation Center, Omaha, NE
American Association of Adapted Sports Programs
American Association on Health and Disability
American Association of People with Disabilities
American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation
Association for Gender Equity Leadership in Education
Association on Higher Education and Disability
American Occupational Therapy Association
BlazeSports Louisiana
BlazeSports Tampa Bay
Bridge II Sports
Center for the Study of Sport in Society
City of Chattanooga, Parks & Recreation
City of Reno Parks, Recreation and Community Services
Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation
Dads & Daughters
Dakota Awards & Engraving
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund
Easter Seals
Far West Wheelchair Sports
International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association
Lakeshore Foundation
Legal Momentum, Advancing Women's Rights
Louisiana GUMBO (Games Uniting Mind & Body)
Maryland Disability Law Center
Myra Sadker Foundation
National Ability Center
National Association for Girls and Women in Sport
National Center on Physical Activity and Disability
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Consortium for Physical Education and Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities
National Council on Independent Living
National Disability Rights Network
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Recreation and Park Association
National Rehabilitation Hospital's BlazeSports Club
National Wheelchair Basketball Association, Junior Division
National Women's Law Center
Nike
Northeast DuPage Special Recreation Association
Northwest Adaptive Sports
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago's Wirtz Disability Sports Program and Galvin Health and Fitness Center
Shake A Leg Miami
Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association
TASH
Trust for America's Health
United States Association of Blind Athletes
University of Central Oklahoma
University of Illinois - Urbana/Champaign Office of Campus Life - Wheelchair Basketball program
University of Texas - Arlington Movin' Mavs
Western Dupage Special Recreation
World Sport Chicago

¹ American Association of People with Disabilities, 2007.
² United States Census Bureau, 2006.
³ Longmuir & Bar-Or, 1994, Pediatric Exercise Science Vol. 6, 168-177.
⁴ National Center for Health Statistics "National Health Interview Survey".
⁵ National Center for Health Statistics "National Health Interview Survey".
⁶ Richman, E.L., and Shaffer, D.R. 2000. "'If you let me play sport': How might sport participation influence the self-esteem of adolescent females?" Psychology of Women Quarterly, 24:189-199.
⁷ Sabo, D.; Melnick, M.; and Vanfossen, B. 1989. The Women's Sports Foundation Report: Minorities in Sports. New York: Women's Sports Foundation.
⁸ Dodge, T., and Jaccard, J. 2002. "Participation in athletics and female sexual risk behavior: The evaluation of four causal structures." Journal of Adolescent Research, 1742-67.
⁹ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 1996 Physical Activity and Health: a Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
¹⁰ Kannus, P. 1999. "Preventing osteoporosis, falls, and fractures among elderly people." British Medical Journal, 318:205-206.
¹¹ 2005 Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
¹² Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. Journal of the American Medical Association. Nancy Hellmich. "One-Third Of Kids Tip Scales Wrong Way." USA Today. April 4, 2006.
¹³ The Surgeon General's Call To Action To Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity. [Rockville, MD]: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Office of Surgeon General; [2001]. Available From: U.S. GPO, Washington.