Welcome to the Adapted Physical Activity Research Unit! We are dedicated to transforming the landscape of adapted physical activity through bold, interdisciplinary research that bridges theory and practice. 

Mixed dance class in gym hall with three students in wheelchairs led by lecturer standing in front of the group
Grounded in inclusivity, collaboration, and innovation, our work seeks to dismantle barriers to participation, amplify marginalised voices, and spark systemic change so that all individuals can move, play, and thrive on their own terms.

Our research embraces physical culture with a focus on physical activity as a human rights and social justice issue. By working alongside disabled communities, practitioners, and partners across sectors, we co-create knowledge and solutions that are not only rigorous and impactful but also meaningful to those most affected. From exploring joy through movement, to advancing culturally competent practices, to ‘cripping’ research methodologies, we aim to challenge inequities and reimagine what participation can look like.

Whether you are a disabled person, researcher, practitioner, policymaker or interested in the socio-cultural complexities of physical activity, we invite you to join us in shaping a future where adapted physical activity is accessible, empowering, and transformative for all.

Membership

Membership:

Prof. Győző Molnár
Dr Emma V. Richardson
Helen Black (PhD Student)
Mathius Sendawula (PhD Student)
Chunhong Zhou (PhD Student)
Francesca Musgrave (PhD Student)

Associate Membership

Prof. Nobuko Tanaka-Hibino
Toin University, Japan

Prof. Nancy Spencer
University of Alberta, Canada

Prof. Justin Haegele
Old Dominion University, USA

Dr Tom Fabian
University College Dublin, Ireland

Completed Projects

Cultural Praxis in Critical Disability Studies: Doing socially just work for inclusive physical activity.

Ethnic Categorisation of Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller Communities.

Current Projects

The Impact of the Invictus Games on Injured and Ill Armed Forces Members and their Families.

Seeking Equitable Access to Sport and Physical Activity among Diabetic Communities.

Outputs / Publications

Spencer, N.L.I. & Molnár, G. (in press).Ontological, epistemological, axiological considerations when using qualitative methods for researching disability in physical education. In A. J. Maher, J. Haegele., & J. Coates (eds.), Routledge Handbook of Qualitative Methods for Researching Disability in Physical Education. Routledge

Richardson, E. V., Wilson, C. T., Black, H., & Foster, R. (in press). “What’s best for you?”: using cripistemologies as a grounding for participatory research with communities that are non-Verbal.  In A. J. Maher, J. Haegele., & J. Coates (eds.), Routledge Handbook of Qualitative Methods for Researching Disability in Physical Education. Routledge

Akimoto, S., Richardson, E., and Nagata, S. (2025) “It’s a Story of Another World”: Perceptions of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games Among Japanese Athletes with Psychiatric Impairments. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 42(3), p. 294-318

Burgess, B., Vinson, D., Richardson, E., & Molnár, G. (2025). Utilising the ecological–intersectional model to identify the factors that impact LGBTQ+ coaches’ experiences in sport. Sport, Education and Society, https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2025.2476603

Bracken, S., Hopkins, A, Kennett, A., Lawrence, H., Richardson, E. V, Wedgebury, K., & Wilcon, C. T. (2025). Empowering disabled learners’ voices and agency through Universal Design for Learning. In, S. Taylor & S. Bracken (Eds.), Learner Voices, Perspectives and Positionings: Providing Agency to Empower Learning. Routledge.

Mycock, G., Foye, U., Edwards, C., & Molnár, G. (2025). Men’s Formal Help-Seeking for Eating and/or Body Image Psychopathology: A Systematic Review of Barriers and Facilitators. The Journal of Men’s Studies, https://doi.org/10.1177/10608265251336747

Richardson, E. V., & Motl, R. W. (2025). A Phenomenological Understanding of Aging “Well” With Multiple Sclerosis. The Gerontologist, 65(6), gnaf072.

Spencer, N. L. I. & Molnár, G. (2024). Adapted Physical Activity. In Routledge Encyclopaedia of Sport Studies. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780367766924-RESS92-1

Burgess, B., Molnár, G., Vinson, D., & Richardson, E. V. (2024). The realities of utilising participatory research and creative methods to explore the experiences of non-heterosexual coaches. Sports Coaching Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/21640629.2024.2335062

Edwards, C., Mahoney, B., Richardson, E. V., & Lowe, B. (2024). “Staying isolated indoors means that nobody sees me”: Ontological (in)security and living with significant appearance concerns before, during, and ‘since’ COVID-19. International Journal of Qualitative Studies and Health and Well-being. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2024.2374779

Davis, G., Bentley, J., Molnár, G. & Gaskin, K. (2024). Places of Farewell: a scoping review exploring factors influencing the choice of place of death for children when death is expected. Comprehensive Child and Adolescent Nursing.

Edwards, C., Molnár, G., & Tod, D. (2024). Searching for meaning: British men's stories of long-term androgenic-anabolic steroid use. Performance Enhancement & Health, 12(3), 100287.

 

Get in touch

For more information on our research or opportunities please get in touch with Professor Győző Molnár or Dr Emma Richardson