SAVE THE DATE - Ian Brittain, Rui Biscaia and Simon Girard present on November 26

Virtual Ability^® presents the 10^th annual

International Disability

Rights Affirmation Conference
Friday, November 26, 2021

Dr. Ian Brittain

Dr. Rui Biscaia

Dr. Simon Girard

Three professors from the UK will present “Ableism as a regulator of social practice and disabled peoples’ self-determination to participate in sport and physical activity” at the International Disability Rights Affirmation Conference, held in Virtual Ability’s Sojourner Auditorium in Second Life. Their presentation will begin at 8:30am Pacific Time on Friday, November 26. The session will be introduced by Don Setzer.

Dr. Ian Brittain is an Associate Professor (Research) in the Centre for Business in Society at Coventry University, UK. He is an internationally recognized expert in the study of disability and Paralympic sport and has attended five summer Paralympic Games in Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London and Rio. He specializes is sociological and historical aspects of disability and Paralympic sport with a particular interest in the history of the Paralympic and Stoke Mandeville Games and social legacies of the Paralympic Games for disabled people living in the host city.

Dr. Rui Biscaia is an Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) in the Department for Health, University of Bath, UK. His research focuses on the impact organizations have on contemporary society and the promotion of long-term sustainable relationships between individuals, organizations and associated sponsors. His work has appeared in journals such as the International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, Journal of Business Research, European Sport Management Quarterly, Journal of Sport Management, Sport Management Review, among others.

Dr. Simon Girard is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Business and Law, Coventry University, UK. His research concentrates on better understanding the mechanisms through which organizations change over time, with a focus on how these impact participation in sport for minority groups, in particular disabled people. His work has been published journals such as Leisure Studies, Managing Sport and Leisure and Sport Business Management.

Drs. Brittain, Biscaia and Gerard will build their presentation on the theories of ableism, social practice and self-determination. They propose a framework to explain why disabled people are less likely to access and participate in sport and physical activity. Ableism acts as a regulatory mechanism for each of the elements (habitus, capital and field) and different forms of capital (social, cultural, economic and symbolic) of Bourdieu’s concept of social practice. In addition, this regulation of social practice impacts the possibility for disabled people to self-determine their access to, and participation in, sport and physical activity due to their perceived competence, autonomy and relatedness. In turn, ableism can impact directly upon self-determination, and that social practice within the arena of sport and physical activity may reinforce ableist perceptions.

Please join us in Second Life, or view the conference on Virtual Ability’s YouTube channel live stream, as we learn more about factors impacting participation in sports by persons with disabilities.