Adapting to sport and country: Immigrant athletes with disabilities.

This article focuses on the lived experiences, motivations, and impacts of immigrant athletes with disabilities participating in adaptive sports in the United States. Through interviews with fifteen immigrants from eleven countries, the study found that participants viewed the U.S. as more accessible and socially accepting for people with disabilities compared to their home countries, where physical barriers and stigmatizing cultural attitudes were common. Despite diverse cultural backgrounds, most participants reported that their shared identity as athletes with disabilities transcended differences in race, language, and national origin, fostering a sense of normalcy, confidence, and community. The research is framed by critical disability theory (CDT) and highlights the intersectionality of disability and immigrant identities, emphasizing the role of adaptive sports in mitigating social and cultural challenges faced by this understudied population.