Physical Activity for Children and Youth with Physical Disabilities: A Case Study on Implementation in the Municipality Setting

Children and youth with disabilities participate less in physical activity (PA) than their peers. This qualitative multiple-case study aimed to assess how municipal practices support PA implementation for these children and youth. A total of 23 interviews were conducted, which covered participants from different departments and professional positions in two municipalities. Local policy documents were included. A thematic analysis was performed, which was based on Winter's integrated implementation model and Gittell's theory on relational coordination. The study findings indicate how PA implementation for children and youth with disabilities is a complex challenge that involves several departments and agents. The study demonstrates that having an explicit policy that focuses on parasport can positively influence organisational and interorganisational behaviour, and that coordinating consultants seem to play an essential role in PA implementation. However, there is room for improvement at the municipal level in order to promote a better overall performance in terms of the support for PA participation of children and youth with disabilities.