Millions of people experience barriers when it comes to leading an active lifestyle, and there are also millions who face exclusion when accessing and using digital technology.
The digital inclusion movement and our own Uniting the Movement strategy are looking to address these barriers, but what about the people who experience both?
In order to learn more about the relationship between digital inclusion and participation in physical activity, we have worked with Good Things Foundation.
Following initial desktop research in March 2025, we conducted in-depth research between October 2025 and January 2026 with people with lived experience of facing digital barriers to being active, and with organisations working across the digital inclusion and sport/physical activity sectors.
This has deepened our understanding and provides tangible action we can take as a sector.
Our objective was to understand how digital shapes people’s access to and experience of sport and physical activity, and identifies good practice for reducing digital barriers to being active.
The research builds on existing understanding of the overlap between the groups who face inequalities in being active and the groups who face inequalities in being online (Sport England and Good Things Foundation, 2025).
Digital barriers limiting participation in sport and physical activity:
By embedding questions into customer or population surveys, into registration processes, and into equality impact assessments, you can collect data on digital barriers faced.
Read more about 1. Build understanding of the range of digital barriers faced by the populations you want to support to be more activeYou can then use the insights to design sport and physical activity opportunities that are more digitally inclusive.
Read less about 1. Build understanding of the range of digital barriers faced by the populations you want to support to be more activeEngage with existing resources and guidance (see for example the National Digital Inclusion Network) to help embed digital inclusion support into sport and physical activity services.
Read more about 2. Provide local support for digital connectivity, devices and skillsYou can also signpost them to existing trusted, local organisations, who help people build capability to get online and be more active.
Read less about 2. Provide local support for digital connectivity, devices and skillsTo reduce barriers to accessing information and opportunities to be active, platforms should be designed with the needs of people with low digital skills in mind, through user-centred design and innovation best practice.
Read more about 3. Make it easier for people to navigate and use online sport and physical activity platformsMultiple channels for sharing information and providing support – including offline channels – should also be provided.
Read less about 3. Make it easier for people to navigate and use online sport and physical activity platformsAs barriers to accessing digital services are not limited to the sport and activity sector, there is great benefit in establishing partnership working across sectors and places.
Read more about 4. Build partnerships for place-based support around digital and physical activityThese could include health and social prescribing services and the VCSE sector, enabling you to facilitate local access to digital inclusion support, and reduce barriers to being active.
Read less about 4. Build partnerships for place-based support around digital and physical activity
