Beyond adaptation: reconceptualizing inclusive physical education through the lens of critical disability theory

Background and Problem: Although inclusive physical education (PE) policies have progressed, covert ableism continues to hinder the participation of students with disabilities. Students with disabilities remain marginalized even within ostensibly ‘inclusive’ settings. The Inclusion Spectrum, the most widely used practitioner framework for understanding such settings, has not been systematically examined through a critical theoretical lens. Without a critical theoretical examination, the Inclusion Spectrum risks perpetuating rather than challenging ableist structures it was designed to soften. This conceptual gap is what this manuscript is hoping to address. Theoretical Framework: This paper applies critical disability theory (CDT) as an analytical lens to examine normalized assumptions in PE. Furthermore, the analysis draws on the social relational model of disability and intersectionality perspectives. Thus, a reconceptualization of the Inclusion Spectrum is presented, with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) offered as a practical pathway for implementation. Conceptual Contribution: We propose three thematic reframings: (1) from individual adaptation to environmental transformation, (2) from ability-based hierarchies to diverse value recognition, and (3) from remedial separation to empowerment spaces. From these reframings, we derive prospective directions for future empirical research. Together, this analysis supports a shift from ‘adapted’ to ‘universal’ physical education. Implications: The analysis offers guidance for three audiences: for policy makers, it informs jurisdictions transitioning from medical through social to human rights models in disability sport policy; for practitioners, it positions UDL-informed curriculum design and CDT literacy as central to teacher professional development; and for researchers, it calls for participatory methodologies that center on the voices from students with disabilities. Genuine inclusion thus requires reconceptualizing what counts as ability and whose performance is valued.