Participate in a New Study to Highlight the Power of Sport

According to the CDC, one in 4 U.S. adults – 61 million Americans, have a disability that impacts major life activities. Of those, 47 percent of people with a disability ages 18 to 64, reported they get no aerobic physical activity.  For many of these Americans, the benefits that physical activity can have on their whole health are not widely understood.

We do know from existing, independent, peer-reviewed academic research that adaptive sports has positive, lasting physical and psychological effects – yet more work is needed.  By proving scientifically that adaptive sports has a positive impact, we can benefit the Move United community in identifying areas of need, providing direction to improve programs, and proving to funders, and the community our importance.

In 2019, Move United began a search to find a research partner who could help us answer these questions; to help our industry grow in the right direction – to incite action that leads to a world where everyone’s included.  We formed a partnership with Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign that would seek to find program preferences to help shape future program design, and also re-design our physical activity survey that participants complete after taking part.

Our goal is to make this one of the most significant studies ever completed in this field.  We need to find at least 1,000 individuals with a disability to participate in this valuable survey, which will ultimately elevate offerings in the adaptive sports industry.

Move United is asking people with a disability to voluntarily participate in the research questionnaire to assess the impact of sport participation.  Participating takes approximately 15-20 minutes. You can complete the survey HERE. Also, please share and encourage others to take a moment and participate in this important survey.

Questions about this project?  Contact Dr. Jules Woolf at 217-300-8358 or jwoolf@illinois.edu. If you have any questions about your rights as a participant in this study or any concerns or complaints, please contact the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Office for the Protection of Research Subjects at 217-333-2670 or via email at irb@illinois.edu.