As part of our mission, Active Abilities Canada serves organizational, community and government leaders by connecting the sector and delivering knowledge that they can put into action. As one means of doing this, we have established this Resource Library which features resources from a variety of organizations. You can search for resources by category and author and by clicking on “View”, you can reach the resource directly. If you are interested in having your resource(s) added to the library, please complete this online form.
| Title | Summary | Categories | Author | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Designing for Inclusivity | This resource provides strategies for making universal washrooms and change rooms in recreation and community facilities more inclusive for people with disabilities, families, and transgender and non-binary individuals. | Accessible Practices | HCMA | |
| Inclusive Online Physical Activity Resources for People with Disabilities | This is a curated collection of inclusive online physical activity resources for people with disabilities. | Resource Library | Jasmin Ma | |
| Ripple Effect: An Inspiration Catalogue for Inclusive and Accessible Aquatic Facility Design | This catalogue helps architects, designers, operators, and decision-makers create more inclusive and accessible aquatic facilities for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. | Accessible Practices | HCMA, Lokale og Anlægsfonden | |
| Considerations and Recommendations for Prescribing Exercise and Designing Physical Activity Programs for People with Disabilities | This expert consensus statement provides an evidence-based summary of how physiological factors, guidelines, and barriers influence physical activity participation for people with disabilities, along with outlining practical recommendations for prescribing and designing physical activity programs. | Evidence/research | American College of Sports Medicine | |
| Plein Air Accessible Course | This interactive tool helps organizations plan accessible outdoor activities for people with disabilities. Follow seven practical stages to assess accessibility, develop inclusive activities, build partnerships, secure funding, promote opportunities, and support long-term sustainability. | Training | AQLPH, Plein air accessible | |
| Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults with Major Lower Limb Amputation | These evidence-based guidelines help adults with major lower limb amputation use physical activity to improve balance and overall daily mobility. The guidelines recommend 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity aerobic activity weekly, strengthening exercises for the lower limbs at least twice weekly, and balance exercises at least 3 times weekly. | Evidence/research, Guidelines | Amputee Coalition of Canada, CIUSSS, CRIR, IURDPM, Queen's University, Université de Montréal | |
| Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults with Spinal Cord Injury | These evidence-based guidelines help adults with spinal cord injury use physical activity to improve fitness and health. The guidelines include both a starting level and an advanced level, allowing individuals to choose an approach that aligns with their goals, abilities, and current fitness level. They recommend 20-30 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity aerobic activity 2-3 times weekly, along with strength training for major muscle groups twice weekly. | Evidence/research, Guidelines | Canadian Disability Participation Project (CDPP), Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, Rick Hansen Foundation, SCI Action Canada, The University of British Columbia | |
| Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults with Multiple Sclerosis | These evidence-based guidelines help adults with mild to moderate multiple sclerosis and healthcare professionals use physical activity to improve fitness, strength, mobility, fatigue, and overall quality of life. The guidelines recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity twice weekly, along with strength training for major muscle groups twice weekly. | Evidence/research, Guidelines | Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, MS Canada, ParticipACTION | |
| 2025 Adult Report Card Spotlight: Supporting Physical Activity Among Adults In Canada With Disabilities | What prevents physical activity participation among adults with disabilities? It’s not a lack of motivation… it’s a lack of access! While 74% of adults with disabilities in Canada want to be active, accessibility barriers continue to limit physical activity participation. The new 2025 ParticipACTION Adult Report Card Spotlight on Supporting Physical Activity Among Adults in Canada with Disabilities breaks down key findings from the latest national data and provides actionable recommendations for community change. | Evidence/research | Active Abilities Canada, Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute (CFLRI), ParticipACTION, The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) | |
| Access, Participation, and Opportunity: A National Status Report on Physical Activity and Sport for Persons with Disabilities | Developed by the CFLRI, in partnership with Active Abilities Canada, this landmark report provides one of the most comprehensive national snapshots to date of how persons with disabilities participate in sport and physical activity in Canada. | Evidence/research | Active Abilities Canada, Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute (CFLRI) | |
| Inclusion Training Resources | This resource is a compilation of training programs and resources related to accessibility and inclusion. | Training | Active Abilities Canada | |
| Accessibility and Inclusion Spotlight: City of Lloydminster | The City of Lloydminster participated in a multi-year process to design, build and operate a new recreation facility that emphasizes inclusion and accessibility for persons with disabilities. | Accessible Practices | Active Abilities Canada | |
| Young children with disabilities are excluded from national physical activity monitoring. That needs to change. | Given the physical, social and economic prioritization of physical activity in our society, why are monitoring and reporting of physical activity in young children with disabilities being missed? | Evidence/research | The Conversation | |
| Sports and Recreation: Including Individuals on the Autism Spectrum | This course, designed for sport and recreation leaders in a range of settings, provides practical tools to help get more participants actively engaged in sport and recreation activities. | Training | Canucks Autism Network | |
| Investing in Sport, Physical Activity, and Recreation: How to Influence Decision-Makers Learning Tool | This learning program is based on a toolkit created by the Active Abilities Canada and adapted by the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute to help municipalities and organizations increase opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in sport, physical activity, and recreation. | Training | Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute (CFLRI) | |
| Functioning, participation, and quality of life in children with intellectual disability: an observational study | This article investigates the associations between functioning, community participation, and quality of life (QoL) and identify whether participation mediates the effects of functioning on QoL. | Evidence/research | Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology | |
| Disability and Physical Activity Program Evaluation Toolkit | This toolkit is designed for disability and sport organizations who want to evaluate their programs and initiatives. A team of researchers and community partners developed the toolkit. All measures and resources are valid for use among the disability population. This toolkit can also be used/adapted for people/programs outside of the disability population (i.e., the toolkit is inclusive for all programs/mixed ability programs). | Evidence/research | Canadian Disability Participation Project (CDPP) | |
| Inclusion Module: Volunteering in Disability Sport | The following Disability Inclusion Module was developed specifically for volunteers participating at a sport event for persons with a disability. The module covers topics including defining and describing disability, respectful communication, the history of Para sport, the classification process, benefits of sport participation for persons with disabilities, and tips on how volunteers can facilitate positive, inclusive sport experiences for athletes with disabilities. | Evidence/research | Canadian Disability Participation Project (CDPP) | |
| Volunteer Training and Management | The resource contains 12 best practice recommendations for training and managing sport event volunteers, as well as supplementary documents and templates to help event organizers design and implement a successful and inclusive volunteer program. | Evidence/research | Canadian Disability Participation Project (CDPP) | |
| A Blueprint for Building Quality Participation in Sport for Children, Youth and Adults with a Disability | The Blueprint for Building Quality Participation in Sport for Children, Youth, and Adults with a Disability introduces key concepts that support quality participation and offers practical tools for enhancing sport programs for participants experiencing disability. | Evidence/research | Canadian Disability Participation Project (CDPP) | |
| A Blueprint for Building Quality Participation in Sport for Children and Youth with Intellectual Disabilities | The Blueprint provides evidence-based strategies for building quality participation in sport programs specifically for children and youth with intellectual disabilities. | Evidence/research | Canadian Disability Participation Project (CDPP) | |
| A Blueprint for Building Quality Participation in Sport for Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder | The Blueprint provides evidence-based strategies for building quality participation in recreation sport and physical activity programs for children and youth with autism spectrum disorder. | Evidence/research | Canadian Disability Participation Project (CDPP) | |
| Strategy Matrix for Fostering Quality Participation Among Persons with Disabilities in Community-Based Exercise Programs | The Strategy Matrix is a tool that guides program providers through the content that can be used “on-the-ground” to help foster quality participation among persons experiencing disability in community-based exercise programs. This tool an be used in the development of new exercise programs, to assess how existing programming may be altered to promote quality experiences, and to train program staff or volunteers. | Evidence/research | Canadian Disability Participation Project (CDPP) | |
| A Blueprint for Building Quality Participation on Playgrounds for Children with Disabilities | Adapted from the Canadian Disability Participation Project’s Blueprint for Building Quality Participation in Sport for Children, Youth, and Adults with a Disability, these resources present 20 evidence-informed strategies designed to support meaningful, inclusive participation on playgrounds for children with disabilities. | Evidence/research | Canadian Disability Participation Project (CDPP) | |
| Evidence-Informed Recommendations: Tips and Tricks for Developing and Disseminating Physical Activity Information for Families and Children with Disabilities | The toolkit is designed to support any organization that promotes or delivers sport and physical activity to children and youth experiencing disability. The toolkit includes recommendations and tips to help organizations develop and disseminate helpful or motivational physical activity information targeting families of children and youth experiencing disability. | Evidence/research | Canadian Disability Participation Project (CDPP) | |
| Rethinking the Meaning of “Participation” for Persons Experiencing Disability | This bulleting explores the meaning and significance of participation and identifies the key elements that contribute to high-quality, meaningful engagement for persons experiencing disability across a variety of settings. | Evidence/research | Canadian Disability Participation Project (CDPP) | |
| Sport and Exercise Participation and Disability: A Blueprint for Change | This Knowledge Translation (KT) bulletin explores the key factors that influence participation in sport and exercise among persons with physical disabilities. | Evidence/research | Canadian Disability Participation Project (CDPP) | |
| The Para Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth with a Disability | This is Canada’s first comprehensive summary of physical activity data for children and adolescents with disabilities. | Evidence/research | Canadian Disability Participation Project (CDPP) | |
| Climbing without Limits: One Athlete’s Blind Pursuit of New Heights in Adaptive Sport | A story about a young man who began climbing after losing his sight. | Stories | Source: Sport Information Resource Centre | |
| Deaf Sport Isn’t Just White: Telling a Colourful Story | A story about a deaf, racialized athlete’s experience. | Stories | Source: Sport Information Resource Centre | |
| Sport is for Everyone (Secondary) | Sport is a powerful way to foster greater inclusion and well-being for persons with disabilities. In this lesson, students discuss the value of sport and physical fitness. Students consider how physical activity and sports can be made accessible to help eliminate barriers for people with disabilities. | School Resource | Rick Hansen Foundation | |
| Fair Play (secondary) | In this lesson, students will construct a deep understanding of the concept of Fair Play by comparing examples and identifying the essential attributes of this concept. Students will use this understanding to modify the rules of a game/activity of their choice. This understanding has the potential of laying the foundations for creating an inclusive, equitable classroom environment where every student can excel in play, sports, learning, and life.https://www.rickhansen.com/schools-communities/resource-library/fair-play-secondary?page=true | School Resource | Rick Hansen Foundation | |
| Playing by the Rules (Elementary) | Students will come to understand the meaning and importance of fair play when engaging in physical activities by comparing the role of rules when being physically active alone and with others. This understanding has the potential of laying the foundation for creating an inclusive and equitable classroom environment where every student can excel in play, sports, learning, and life. | School Resource | Rick Hansen Foundation | |
| Inclusive Play (Elementary) | Students consider how to best work together during physical activity time to make it a positive and rewarding experience for all participants, including those with physical disabilities. | School Resource | Rick Hansen Foundation | |
| Words with Dignity Infographic | Describes words and concepts used to describe disability. | Infographic | Recreation Integration Victoria | |
| Why Does Inclusion Matter? | Who benefits from inclusion and how. | Infographic | Recreation Integration Victoria | |
| The Anatomy of Inclusion | Best practices related to customer service. | Infographic | Recreation Integration Victoria | |
| Outcomes of Inclusive Sport | The benefits of sport for persons with disabilities. | Infographic | Recreation Integration Victoria | |
| Invisible Disabilities | Being an effective communicator. | Infographic | Recreation Integration Victoria | |
| Meeting a Person with a Disability | Tips on what to do when you meet a person with a disability. | Infographic | Recreation Integration Victoria | |
| First Involvement | Tips to ensure a positive first experience. | Infographic | Recreation Integration Victoria | |
| Adapting Activities | Ideas on how to adapt activities. | Infographic | Recreation Integration Victoria | |
| Actions Speak Louder than Words | Paying attention to body language. | Infographic | Recreation Integration Victoria | |
| A Road Map to Inclusion | Ways to increase inclusion and access. | Infographic | Recreation Integration Victoria | |
| Environmental Scan | An inventory of programs, resources and services in the physical activity, recreation and community sport and disability sector. | Evidence/research | Active Abilities Canada | |
| Be Inspired | Canadians with Disabilities Tell Their Stories of Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation. | Stories | Active Abilities Canada | |
| The Ability Toolkit | Guidelines for Sleep, Activity and Rest in a Full Day for Children and Youth with Disabilities. | Reference | Canadian Disability Participation Project (CDPP) | |
| The Language of Disability | Language plays a powerful role in how to perceive and treat people. This resources provides information about the language we use related to disability. | Reference | Active Abilities Canada | |
| In Her Words | This resources shares stories about mothers with disabilities and how they are role models for their children. | Stories | Active Abilities Canada | |
| Canadian Practices in Inclusive Recreation | This resource provides examples of what recreation and parks associations across Canada are doing to promote accessibility. | Accessible Practices | Active Abilities Canada |
