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Kazunari Obuchi, Ph.D., Policy Director at SSF participated in and gave a poster presentation at the 18th Asian Society for Adapted Physical Education and Exercise Symposium (hereinafter ASAPE 2024), which took place in Hokkaido, Japan, from August 2 to August 4.
ASAPE (Asian Society for Adapted Physical Education and Exercise) is an international, cross-disciplinary professional organization comprising individuals, institutions, and agencies in the field of adapted physical activity. It focuses on the promotion and dissemination of knowledge about adapted physical education and exercise, disability sport, and all other aspects of sport for the benefit of people with physical disabilities, activity limitations, and participation restrictions in physical activity.
It was held under the leadership of the symposium chair, Prof. Tomoyasu Yasui of Hokkaido University of Education, with approximately 250 individuals including 100 from Japan participating. The program included oral sessions, poster presentations, keynote lectures, and panel discussions by expert researchers and practitioners. It also included on-site practical sessions to observe how adapted sports and physical activities are conducted.
Under this year’s theme, 'Connections Fostered through Adapted Sport and Exercise in the World of Diversity,' Obuchi gave a poster presentation on the pilot project and survey he was involved in.
3-1) The proportion of local para-sports associations in Japan that employed full-time staff was only 40%, and insufficient human and financial resources continued to hinder the further promotion of sports for people with physical disabilities. In the pilot project, SSF provided a subsidy to a para-sports association in Oita Prefecture, located on the eastern coast of Kyushu, enabling it to hire and allocate full-time staff dedicated to planning and managing new projects. The project contributed to improving the environment surrounding para-sports. As a result, the association saw a significant increase in the number of participants in its events.
3-2) The survey aimed to identify factors that encourage people with physical disabilities to start participating in sports through interviews with 50 para-athletes. The survey identified seven key factors, including positive attitudes towards para-sports, access to useful information about para-sports, and safe access to para-sport venues.
