How do sporting events for athletes with a disability influence community perceptions of disability and issues of accessibility?

Laura Misener of Western University’s School of Kinesiology will address this question and more in her free public lecture, “From Awe to Inspiration: Maximizing Social Impacts of Parasport Events,” in room 144, Human Kinetics Building at noon Friday, November 13.

Dr. Misener’s research focuses on how sport and events can be used as instruments of social change. Her work critically examines numerous ways that sport events have been claimed to positively affect community development, social infrastructure, social inclusion, and healthy lifestyles of community members.

Her current project is comparing two different types of disability sport event: integrated, like the Commonwealth Games; and separate, like the Parapan American Games. She will focus on outcome measures to inform International Paralympic Committee policy, including the events’ impacts on attitudes towards disability, community accessibility, and sport participation opportunities.

Friday’s lecture is presented by the Faculty of Human Kinetics as part of its Distinguished Speakers Series.