Activity Alliance and Intelligent Health have worked to improve accessibility for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions in Beat the Street. Data from over 17,000 participants show that disabled children and adults have seen the biggest decrease in physical inactivity levels since the changes were brought in in 2022.
These findings evidence the importance of designing inclusive strategies in community programmes and highlight the positive outcomes of how collaborative efforts make physical activity accessible, inclusive, and more importantly enjoyable for everyone!
Beat the Street is a transformational tool for population health and places with a real-life game at its heart. It was created to enable people to embed daily movement. Intelligent Health designed Beat the Street with inclusion in mind from the start. This included the design of Beat Boxes to beep and flash as an aid for those with sight and hearing impairments and the use of physical Beat Boxes accessible, as well as game material to assist people in getting the most out of the programme. With over 1.8 million participants, Intelligent Health ensures inclusion continues to be at the heart of the programme and works with Activity Alliance and disabled participants to review processes and content. A series of enhancements have been implemented to make taking part in daily movement more accessible to disabled people and people with long-term health conditions.
Enhancements include the introduction of an accessibility icon on the map, closer and more visible Beat Boxes, and the provision for Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools to have Beat Boxes within their school grounds. Additionally, the Beat the Street website has been redeveloped with greater accessibility, with a conscious effort to ensure greater representation in imagery, branding, and photo shoots, and enhancement to enable better connection with local events and support networks.
Jenny Cottrell, Head of Programmes at Intelligent Health, emphasised the significance of these collaborations: “For us, Beat the Street has been about inclusion from the start – helping people get active where they are. However, we are not experts and know there is always more to do.
Working with the Activity Alliance and directly with disabled people has improved our approach. For example, we are building on the success of SEN schools like Perseid Primary in Merton and Jack Tizard School in Hammersmith & Fulham, who have been winners of Beat the Street, to encourage more SEN schools to participate specifically. Our research is focused on the link between people’s resilience and the prevalence of disabilities, long-term conditions, and outcomes from Beat the Street. We aim to investigate and understand the factors that can enhance the impact of Beat the Street for people with disabilities, to further enrich their experience. We now have anecdotal evidence that neurodiverse individuals, in particular, enjoy Beat the Street, and we are keen to explore this further.”
Francesca Smith, Headteacher at Jack Tizard School (SEN) said:
“The pupils, families and staff have enthusiastically joined in Beat the Street. It brings such benefits to the curriculum including travel training, gross motor skill development and staying safe in the community. We are all very excited to see the leaderboard each week and discuss it in assembly. A great initiative!”-
Catherine Slater, Head of Partnerships at Activity Alliance, echoed these sentiments: “The collaborative efforts between Activity Alliance and Beat the Street have led to meaningful changes that support better and more inclusive experiences. We are proud to see the positive impact on disabled people and people with long-term health conditions, encouraging them to be active in different ways and have a great time.”
The impact is evident in the combined behaviour change data from Beat the Street participants in 2022 and 2023. Analysing a sample size of 10,314 adults, the data reveals a significant decrease in adult inactivity rates across various groups, with the “Disability” and “Long-Term Condition” groups showing the greatest improvements. Similar was found in data from 7,744 children with a significant decrease in less active children. Disabled children have shown the greatest drop in the rate of less active children.
Jenny Cottrell Head of Programmes said, “We often hear stories of the impact of the programme on disabled people but the data has brought to life the scale of the impact. It’s heartening to see that our efforts have translated into tangible change and we will continue to work to tackle inequalities.”
Catherine Slater also commented on the broader implications of these findings: “This data not only validates the importance of embedding inclusive practices but also encourages us to keep pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved. By making physical activities and sports more accessible, we are fostering a more inclusive community where everyone can reap the benefits from a healthier lifestyle.”
As Beat the Street looks to the future, the focus will remain steadfast on enhancing accessibility and inclusivity. With ongoing support from partners like Activity Alliance and feedback from the community, Beat the Street can continue making a positive impact.
For more information about Beat the Street, please visit www.beatthestreet.me
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