Coaching ethics and disability sport

This chapter critically explores the ethical landscape of coaching in disability sport and highlights enduring inequalities and structural barriers that prevent inclusive practice. Drawing on the capabilities approach developed by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, the authors argue for a justice-based rethinking of coaching provision that prioritises what disabled athletes and coaches are genuinely able to be and do. This approach challenges traditional egalitarian and resource-based models by prioritising the interdependence of personal ‘functionings’ and socio-political contexts as the basis for a view of justice shaped by opportunity and well-being. The discussion addresses practical case examples of ethical dilemmas related to athlete classification, coach development, and the role of the coaches’ lived experience, advocating for coaching systems that recognise human variation and reject ableist norms. The authors call for a more flexible, inclusive coaching infrastructure that enables disabled individuals to flourish across both parasport and non-disabled sport environments, thereby fostering broader societal change in perceptions of disability and justice.