Championing Inclusion Among ‘Hidden’ Disability: The Case and Opportunities for Deaf and T1D Communities

Sport is widely promoted as a vehicle for inclusion, yet inclusive policies do not necessarily translate into inclusive experiences for all participants. This is particularly evident for individuals living with hidden or conditionally visible impairments, whose support needs may not be immediately recognised within sporting environments. Using D/deaf and Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) communities as illustrative case studies, this paper examines how visibility, identity, disclosure and recognition shape experiences of sport participation and inclusion. Although both groups may be protected under disability legislation, many individuals do not identify with disability as a personal, social or cultural label, challenging conventional understandings of disability in sport. Drawing on literature relating to disability, Deafness, chronic illness and sport, we demonstrate how barriers arise not only through inaccessible practices and environments, but also through the failure of sporting systems to recognise diverse forms of impairment and support need. The experiences of D/deaf and T1D athletes highlight the challenges of negotiating disclosure, managing visibility and accessing appropriate support within sporting cultures that often privilege normative assumptions of physical competence and independence. In response, we propose three opportunities for advancing inclusion: moving from policy to practice, from individual adaptation to anticipatory inclusion, and from access to belonging. We argue that meaningful inclusion requires community-informed, flexible and relational approaches that recognise hidden impairments, value diverse identities and foster genuine belonging within sport.