Client Ambition

As part of a grassroots rural sports program, our client sought to strengthen inclusive sports opportunities for children with disabilities in Dadri Block, Uttar Pradesh. Recognizing the limited participation of persons with disabilities (PwDs) in structured sports and the absence of an enabling ecosystem, the client aimed to understand the needs, aspirations, barriers, and support systems of children with disabilities and their families. The objective was to generate evidence that could inform the design of a scalable and sustainable inclusive sports model that promotes participation, wellbeing, and long-term development outcomes for PwDs.

Our Solution

Re-emerging World (ReW) designed and executed a comprehensive needs assessment combining secondary research, quantitative data enumeration, stakeholder consultations, household interviews, focus group discussions, and ecosystem mapping. The study engaged PwD children, parents, caregivers, schools, local government stakeholders, disability support organizations, and sports practitioners to develop a holistic understanding of participation barriers and opportunities.

The assessment explored disability profiles, awareness, and attitudes toward sports, playing behaviour, mobility and infrastructure constraints, parental aspirations, and ecosystem readiness. Based on the findings, we developed a Theory of Change, identified priority outcome areas, and proposed an implementation framework for a pilot PwD sports programme under Khelo Dadri. The study also included recommendations on outreach and mobilization strategies, parent engagement approaches, accessibility requirements, partnerships, monitoring indicators, and pathways for long-term ecosystem development.

Results

The engagement provided our client with a robust evidence base to launch its first structured PwD sports initiative. The study identified key participation barriers, mapped potential implementation partners, and highlighted critical success factors for building parental confidence and sustained engagement. The findings informed the design of the pilot program, including participant outreach, programme structure, accessibility provisions, and monitoring framework.