HISTORICAL-RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPORTS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES DURING THE YEARS OF UKRAINE’S INDEPENDENCE

Abstract

The article deals with a historical and retrospective analysis based on the data of modern scientific research on the formation and development of sports for people with disabilities during the years of Ukraine’s independence. In today’s conditions, as a result of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, there is a significant increase in the number of people with disabilities, and the problem of increasing attention to this category of citizens is becoming especially urgent. The purpose of the work is to analyze, systematize and generalize the historical experience of the development of sports of persons with disabilities during the years of independence of Ukraine. To solve the set goal, the following research methods were used: historical-pedagogical methods (historical-logical, concrete-historical, retrospective) and methods of theoretical analysis of scientific and methodological literature: searchbibliographic, chronological, reconstruction, apperception, aspectual, system-functional and conceptual. The analysis of literary sources and documentary materials showed that scientific research is being conducted in various aspects of the sports movement of disabled people, which significantly expands the possibilities for realizing the idea of comprehensive development of people with disabilities, making this type of sports activity a priority direction of the development of Ukrainian society during the years of independence. By determining the ratio of the number of participants in competitions among athletes with disabilities, the dynamics of the effectiveness of the competitive activity of athletes, factors affecting it during the years of independence of Ukraine, the separation of three stages (1991–2000, 2001–2013 and 2014–2023 yr.) of the development of the Olympic and Paralympic sports, which were determined by both political and social factors. The systematization and generalization of the historical experience of the development of sports of persons with disabilities during the years of Ukraine’s independence was analyzed and carried out. Gradual improvement of training and competition conditions for athletes with disabilities was identified, including an increase in the number of accessible sports and support from the state. Also, factors hindering the development of sports for persons with disabilities were identified, such as insufficient financial support and lack of special training bases. The conducted research showed that programs and initiatives aimed at the development of physical culture and sports for people with physical and mental disabilities, stable results of athletes, testify to the successful vector of the development of sports for people with disabilities in Ukraine.