ATTENDANCE AT SPORTS EVENTS
ATTENDANCE BY PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY
During the 12 months prior to interview in 2003, there were 927,200 persons aged 18 years and over who had a disability and attended at least one sports event. This number was 27.4% of all adult persons with a disability - defined as any limitation, restriction or impairment, which had lasted, or was likely to last, for at least six months and restricted everyday activities. As with the general adult population, more males (31.8%) attended a sports event than did females (23.2%).
As might be expected, the proportion of adult persons with a disability who attended a sports event during the 12 months prior to interview in 2003 (27.4%) was much lower than that identified for the general adult population during the 12 months prior to interview in 2002 (48.2%). However, some of this difference may result from the age distribution of persons with a disability being skewed more towards older persons than is the case for the general population - 35.2% of persons with a disability were aged 65 years and over compared with only 12.6% of the general population. A higher proportion of older persons may result in a lower attendance rate since, in the general population, only 21.2% of persons aged 65 years and over attended a sports event during the 12 months prior to interview in 2002, compared with 48.2% of all adults.
Between 1998 and 2003, there were significant increases in the numbers of both males and females with a disability who attended a sports event during the 12-month reference period. The number of males rose by 12.8% from 468,700 to 528,500, while the number of females rose by 19.4% from 333,900 to 398,600. However, much of these increases resulted from an increase in the overall adult population of persons with a disability - up 10.5% from 3.1 million to 3.4 million. While it appears from table 5.4 that male and female attendance rates were higher in 2003 than in 1998, these changes were not found to be statistically significant.
5.4 ATTENDANCE AT SPORTS EVENTS(a), By disability status and sex - 1998 and 2003 |
|  |
| 1998 | 2003 | |
| Disability status | Males | Females | Persons | Males | Females | Persons | |
NUMBER ('000) | |
| |
| Profound core activity limitation(b) | 18.4 | 10.9 | 29.3 | 21.3 | 11.0 | 32.3 | |
| Severe core activity limitation(b) | 68.7 | 59.1 | 127.8 | 66.5 | 67.1 | 133.7 | |
| Moderate core activity limitation(b) | 76.4 | 66.7 | 143.1 | 90.5 | 77.3 | 167.8 | |
| Mild core activity limitation(b) | 150.5 | 97.8 | 248.3 | 149.4 | 111.1 | 260.5 | |
| Schooling or employment restriction | 242.4 | 165.9 | 408.4 | 272.8 | 189.7 | 462.5 | |
| All with specific limitations or restrictions(c) | 378.0 | 280.0 | 658.0 | 407.0 | 316.7 | 723.8 | |
| Total with reported disability(d) | 468.7 | 333.9 | 802.5 | 528.5 | 398.6 | 927.2 | |
ATTENDANCE RATE (%) | |
| |
| Profound core activity limitation(b) | 15.8 | 6.0 | 9.9 | 15.8 | 5.0 | 9.1 | |
| Severe core activity limitation(b) | 30.8 | 21.5 | 25.7 | 28.8 | 22.3 | 25.1 | |
| Moderate core activity limitation(b) | 23.9 | 21.4 | 22.6 | 28.5 | 21.4 | 24.7 | |
| Mild core activity limitation(b) | 30.4 | 20.7 | 25.7 | 29.1 | 23.1 | 26.2 | |
| Schooling or employment restriction | 32.1 | 24.7 | 28.6 | 34.9 | 26.4 | 30.9 | |
| All with specific limitations or restrictions(c) | 28.9 | 20.6 | 24.7 | 29.4 | 21.2 | 25.1 | |
| Total with reported disability(d) | 30.7 | 21.8 | 26.2 | 31.8 | 23.2 | 27.4 | |
| |
| (a) Refers to persons aged 18 years and over, living in households only, who attended a sports event as a spectator away from home during the 12 months prior to interview. |
| (b) Core activities comprise communication, mobility and self care. |
| (c) Total may be less than the sum of the components as persons may have both a core activity limitation and a schooling or employment restriction. |
| (d) Includes those who do not have a specific limitation or restriction. |
| Source: ABS data available on request; Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers; 1998 and 2003. |
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