A study on understanding sports for people with disabilities among university students

Abstract

The present article aimed to examine the understanding of sports of for disabled people among college students. To discuss this problem, we distributed questionnaires about sports for people with disabilities to university students. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were calculated to measure internal consistency, and a factor analysis with promax rotation was performed to verify construct validity and determine factor structure. Factor analysis was divided into three sub-scales: "Empathy," "Self-improvement," and, "Proximity,". With regard to recognition, the survey results showed that few people knew about sports for disabled people other than "wheelchair basketball," and "wheelchair tennis." Experience or direct viewing of sports for people with disabilities, indirect viewing through the media, and the close presence of a person with a disability were shown to positively affect recognition of words related to understanding of sports for disabled people. "Understanding of barrier-free property of sports for disabled people" also affected understanding of people with disabilities and sports for people with disabilities.