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exeRcise 14.1: barriers to Participation in cultural life, Recreation,
sport, and leisure
objective: To identify barriers to participation in cultural life, recreation, sport, and leisure
faced by people with disabilities
Time: 60 minutes
materials: Chart paper and markers or blackboard and chalk
1. Analyze:
Ask each participant (or pair of participants) to select a specific area covered by Article 30
(e.g., particular types of cultural activities, language/linguistic identity, sport, recreation, leisure,
play) and to evaluate the barriers a disabled person might face in achieving full participation
in the selected context. Encourage participants to think of a scenario in which their issue is
reflected, perhaps drawing from their personal experience.
2. Role Play:
Ask each participant or pair to report on their analysis and to role play at least one of the
barriers a disabled person would face in fulfilling this role.
3. discuss:
What are the consequences when people with disabilities are excluded from full participation
in cultural life, recreation, sport, leisure and related areas? What are the consequences for the
community? For the person with a disability? For society as a whole?
• Which barriers have the greatest effect on people with disabilities? On the community?
On society as a whole?
• What can be done to eliminate these most significant barriers to full participation? List
these.
4. develop:
As a whole group, develop a fact sheet or checklist for inclusion on one or more topics. For
example, the group may wish to draft a list of the benefits of inclusion for a specific issue
area (e.g., inclusion in sport, inclusion in tourism) that includes concrete solutions on how
to accommodate people with disabilities in a specific area. Another option is to draft a list of
tips for including and accommodating people with disabilities in culture or sport. These tools
may then be used in disability rights advocacy and awareness-raising on a particular topic.
Encourage participants to distribute their list to their target audience (e.g., local community,
sport center, or tourism authority).
whAT does hUmAn RighTs lAw sAy AboUT PARTiciPATion in
CULTURAL LIFE, RECREATION, LEISURE AND SPORT?
The rights to participate in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport are reflected in a number of
international human rights law instruments, including, for example, the Universal declaration
of human Rights (UDHR) and the international covenant on economic, social and
cultural Rights (ICESCR). 1 Specialized conventions also reflect these rights, including the
convention on the elimination of All forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW)
which affirms the right of women to participate in recreational activities, sports and all aspects
1 See http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/a_cescr.htm
PART 2: The convenTion on The RighTs of PeRsons wiTh disAbiliTies
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