Accessibility in sports pertains to how easy it is for people to play a certain sport, but also how easy it is for spectators to watch the competition. The most accessible sports in the world are those that fill out both categories. For example, Formula 1 is not as accessible for two reasons. Number 1, if you want to become a Formula 1 driver, you’d have to start when you’re a child, and in 99% of the cases, you would need a lot of money. And even then you may not be good enough for any team to pick you.
Number 2, spectators can watch the races on TV channels (that they pay subscriptions to) or official apps & streams (which also require a subscription).
On the other hand, gaming is much easier to ‘join’. All you need is to download a game if you want to play, or tune into any of the hundreds of free tournament streams if you want to watch. But is it as accessible as other sports and could it be the world’s most accessible sport?
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Swimming is an exceptionally healthy sport to practice and virtually everyone can do it (provided they know how to swim). Adaptive swimming is a relatively new type of swimming that helps people with disabilities build up their fitness and respiratory strength. More advanced swimmers can swim with just their legs or just their arms which makes training regimes flexible. Swimming has many benefits but the biggest ones are improving stamina, respiratory strength, and it’s also great for cardio. But if you just want to mess around and flail your arms like a madman, that’s also fine!
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Horse riding is the most expensive sport on our list but it’s quite accessible if you’re not looking to do it professionally. Since riders sit on their horses most of the time, it doesn’t matter if the person has a disability or not, provided adequate equipment is used. And in such cases, there will be a rider who will lead your horse if you aren’t able to. Horses are great companions and are very understanding when properly trained, and equine-assisted therapy helps with physical activity as well as mental healing. What’s not to love about riding a horse like Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption 2 and sneaking in a cute ‘There there boah’ to your horse?
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The first bicycle ever invented (in 1817) drew the attention of the wider populace which soon had bikes of their own. It became a global craze and one of the most efficient forms of travel in the world. While the car dominates today’s transit networks, the bicycle has remained a beloved part of almost every household because you can go just about anywhere with it. There are also many alternative forms of bicycles that are more accommodating to folk with disabilities. For instance, para-cycling is an amazing sport to watch; you get to see just how skilled and inspirational they are. There’s also a study published by the National Library of Medicine that states how cycling can reduce all kinds of health risks and actually prolong your life. So hop on that two-wheeler and ride until the Sun goes down because it’s one of the most accessible sports out there and will improve your stamina greatly!
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When someone mentions archery, most people will imagine a wooden bow and some rudimentary arrows. But modern bows are much more complex than that and, as such, more accommodating as well. There are sports events for people with disabilities where they use their feet, teeth, or arms (each its own category) to shoot the arrows, and all of them can hit the bullseye. It’s also an easy sport to get into regardless of your physical condition. A skilled instructor can get you up to speed in no time and soon enough, you’ll be channelling your inner Robin Hood. Lastly, although it may not seem like it, archery is actually a very relaxing sport. The archer must relax and control his or her breathing to be accurate and hit the target from afar.
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Have you ever watched golf and thought ‘wow this looks hard to get into!’? No? Neither have we. While the skill ceiling is exceptionally high (hitting those holes in one is tremendously difficult), anyone can play it. And thanks to its growing popularity, a form of adaptive golf has appeared with modified rules and equipment that allows for people of all kinds to participate and have fun. There’s a lot to like about golf too – spending time outdoors when the weather is nice, hanging out with friends, arguing over whose ball is 1 millimetre closer to the hole, etc. In all seriousness, the biggest benefit you’ll get from golfing is improving your hand-eye coordination. Form plays a big role in how accurate you are as well, so there are plenty of nuances to look out for and perfect before you start swinging like a pro.
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If you like swimming, wait till you hear about paddling! Joking aside, there are tons of ways you can go about paddling. There are kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, and other vessels where you sit and use your arm strength to move around. It’s also possible to find vessels adapted to people with less mobility. It’s a great sport for people who love spending time in nature as it can be quite tranquil. Paddle your way to the center of a lake, sit back, pop open a cold one, and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of Mother Nature. When you need some peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of the city, paddling’s the ideal choice, thanks to being part of the ‘most accessible sports’ group of activities.
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Remember when you were young, playing GTA San Andreas until you were too tired to play anymore? And do you remember that dude in the Ten Green Bottles bar in Grove Street who was a menace at pool and you couldn’t beat him? Yep, real-life pool is almost exactly the same except you have to put more effort into it. But it’s cheap, it’s easy to learn and play, and it’s pretty accessible for most people. But the real beauty of this game is figuring out in which order to pot the balls because you want to keep your turn and pot as many as possible. Not as strategic as some other sports, however, you can’t go around hitting random balls and hoping you score some.
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Bocce is an underappreciated game and one that mostly the elderly play. But that doesn’t mean it’s not fun! You can technically play Bocce even when sitting down, though it may be a bit harder. It’s similar to curling, meaning you throw your balls and try to be closest to the target ball (Boccino) to earn points. There are no fouls associated with hitting and moving another player’s ball. It’s worth noting that this sport, while competitive, is played more for casual fun and hanging out with friends, hence why it’s one of the most accessible sports in the world.
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Throwing little flying needles at a board is fun, but what’s even more fun is hitting those nasty triple 20s for maximum points. You can play darts sitting down (which can be unusual but definitely possible), standing up, lying down (weird but okay), and whichever position you want. However, if you want to be competitive and participate in tournaments, you’ll have to follow the traditional rules. Overall, playing darts doesn’t require a lot of money and it’s pretty inclusive as a sport since people with disabilities have dedicated events they can compete in and are often just as accurate as people without disabilities.
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You’ve probably noticed by now that all of the previous sports we mentioned involve some degree of physical activity. However, this also makes it more difficult for people with disabilities to play, even though many of the sports have been adapted to accommodate them. But there is only one sport that is welcoming to all and that is esports (or competitive gaming).
The gaming world is packed with players young and old, male and female, with disabilities and without, incredibly skilled and terribly noobish. But most importantly, everyone does it to have fun one way or another. There are also hundreds of esports games that people can play, including League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, and others.
As one of the most accessible sports in the world, esports (and gaming at its core) doesn’t discriminate against anyone. You can be 5 years old and play Minecraft for years, without a care in the world, or you can be 30 and try to become a strong player in the professional scene. Of course, being stellar at a game requires lots of time, commitment, and skill to achieve, so we’ll focus on the casual side. There are a couple of reasons why esports is so accessible:
Games can be played on PC, console, or mobile devices. In fact, mobile game esports has exploded in recent years, with millions of players playing their favourite games on the go. Even if you can’t afford a gaming PC or console, you probably have a phone that is capable of running most games.
We’ll preface this by saying that sitting at your computer all day is not healthy and you should mix it up with some sort of physical activity, such as cycling, playing physical sports, and similar.
But esports and gaming basically do not require any physical preparation. If you’re sick and bedbound, you can still play games, which can’t be said about any other sports. And yes, gaming/esports is a sport; you may not be using your muscles that much but you do compete against other players, at least when referring to multiplayer games.
Most professional sports are broadcast over TV or specialized streaming services that require a subscription or other forms of payment. Taking Formula 1 as an example again, if you choose to watch a race in person, you’ll have to dish out at least $150 for tickets and you won’t even get a grandstand seat. If you watch from home, it’ll either be over a sports TV channel with broadcast rights (that you pay as part of your TV subscription), or over F1TV whose subscription you pay monthly.
Esports doesn’t have any of that. LoL Worlds tickets cost, on average, $50, and that’s the biggest League of Legends event of the year. Spectating from home is free; all you need to do is put on an official Twitch stream and you’re good to go! So overall, esports is both the world’s most accessible sport in terms of playing it and watching it.
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