Sports Activities of Mildly Disabled People:

The Experience of Stutterers

Abstract

　Mild disabilities have been recently focused in the field of disability studies. People with mild disabilities could clarify the function of sports for people with disabilities. Sports activities of people with mild disabilities were focused in this study to illustrate the function of sports for people that cannot be defined as being disabled by using the standards sports disability, and who are not supported from outside the sport space by the “abled”. Interviews were conducted with two athletes suffering from stuttering, based on the above perspective. Results indicated that arbitrary definition between abled and disabled people made it difficult for people with mild disability to participate in sports. For example, they have disadvantages in communicating with their couches and teammates and sometime even get mocked because of their disability. Moreover, playing “abled” sports by people with mild disabilities could be an opportunity to gain social recognition, in spite of difficulties. People with mild disabilities can feel recognized as when they are successful in performing and competing in sports, despite having felt displaced during their school days. It is concluded that sports can function as a chance to gain social recognition for people with mild disabilities, as long as they compete and perform well, despite the difficulties and disadvantages they face in the sports space for the “abled”.