Examining the lived experience of disability inclusion in physical education: the case for participatory research

Abstract Children and young people with disabilities have long been marginalized in research on physical education (PE), resulting in knowledge shaped largely by ableist assumptions and researcher-led agendas. This paper advocates participatory research to center children’s lived, embodied experiences and challenge epistemic injustice in PE scholarship. Grounded in rights-based principles, participatory approaches promote research with rather than on young people, recognizing them as competent social actors and knowledge producers. We examine the theoretical foundations of participatory methodologies, highlighting their commitment to inclusion, agency, collaboration, and contextualized knowledge. The paper outlines key components of participatory action research, including building relationships, co-constructing research aims, designing accessible methods, collaborative analysis, and action-focused dissemination. Attention is given to redistributing power within the researcher–participant dynamic and responding creatively to the diverse needs of young people with disabilities. A worked example from a special school illustrates how participatory approaches can foreground the perspectives of young people with learning and physical disabilities, generate context-specific insights, and influence action. We conclude by arguing that participatory research is not merely a method but an orientation toward social justice in PE research, requiring reflexivity, humility, and a willingness to embrace the “messiness” of genuinely inclusive inquiry.