Associate Professor Janet Lawson - Classification as a factor that affects the quality of disabled athletes’ sport experiences

IAS Guest Speaker Associate Professor Janet Lawson delivers a seminar on their research, fully titled "Classification as a factor that affects the quality of disabled athletes’ sport experiences: Insights from a research program guided by the Knowledge to Action Framework" -  An assistant professor at the University of Manitoba (Canada), Dr. Lawson’s research program seeks to understand the quality of disabled athletes’ experiences in sport. Specifically, she is interested in classification, the process by which ‘parasport’ competitions are organized, and the impact this can have on the overall quality of an athlete’s sport experience. This talk will begin with a brief overview of quality participation in parasport. Next, Dr. Lawson will describe key issues that can arise during, and result from, classification and how they may negatively impact an athlete’s experience. Practical and evidence-informed recommendations for how to manage such challenges will be discussed. Dr. Lawson will also highlight how these recommendations were developed and implemented in partnership with members of the parasport community, providing researchers with insight into novel methods of co-production.  During their visit, Associate Professor Lawson is collaborating with James Haley from the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences. For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias