A survey of spectators at the International Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Games

Disability sport provides a setting in which attributes, practices, and beliefs of spectators can be examined. The Spectator Questionnaire (SQ) was used to collect data on 114 of the spectators attending the 1993 International Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Games (ISMWG). Most spectators (96%) were not athletes in the games, and only 24% were relatives of athletes with disabilities. Spectators were attending the games primarily to encourage athletes in their efforts and to learn more about wheelchair sports. Spectators indicated they would prioritize their time to view wheelchair sports on television. Studying spectators at carefully organized wheelchair sport events may provide useful information that can be used in other settings, such as in the development and implementation of programs to facilitate the inclusion of people with disabilities in mainstreamed environments.