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Wheelchair basketball
The easiest team sport to just turn up and try. You need no chair of your own to start: in the UK, local clubs will usually lend you a sports chair and show you how to handle it, and the British Wheelchair Basketball club finder takes a postcode and lists the nearest clubs.
UK clubs also let non-disabled players train and compete, so a mixed group of friends, partners or teammates can play together. In the US, the National Wheelchair Basketball Association has run the domestic game since 1949 and now counts more than 225 teams, with divisions for men, women, college, juniors and several skill levels, which makes it straightforward to find a level that suits.
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Wheelchair rugby
The full-contact option, built for players with impairments affecting all four limbs. It began as a sport for people with spinal injuries at that level and is now open to anyone whose disability affects all four limbs, which makes it the obvious team sport for many people with tetraplegia who find basketball's shooting demands limiting.
Every player is classified from 0.5 to 3.5 points according to function, and the four on court may total no more than eight, so teams balance lower and higher pointers. Men and women play on the same teams. In the UK, GB Wheelchair Rugby looks for new players of every level and points them to local clubs and taster days, which are the place to ask about borrowing a rugby chair before buying one.
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Wheelchair rugby league
The most inclusive of the contact team sports. Teams mix wheelchair users and non-disabled players, men and women of any age, all playing seated, so the chair itself levels the field. Tackles are made by pulling a tag rather than by collision, which keeps it open to players who would not choose the crash of wheelchair rugby.
In England, sessions run at community and foundation club level, and the Rugby League club finder lists them; WheelPower's guide counts 24 wheelchair clubs in the UK.
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Wheelchair tennis
The sport that fits most easily into an ordinary week, because it needs nothing special from the venue. It is played on any standard court with normal rackets and balls, and the only rule change is that a wheelchair player may let the ball bounce twice before returning it.
That makes mixed games with non-disabled friends genuinely workable, from a casual hit to a doubles match. Venues and events running sessions typically have sports chairs for new players to borrow, so you can find out whether you like it before spending on a tennis chair. In Great Britain more than 50 venues run wheelchair sessions, listed through the LTA.
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Handcycle
Handcycling
The best route to long-distance cardio outdoors, on roads, paths or a closed circuit, at your own pace or in organized rides and races. Many types of handcycle exist to suit different impairments, so trying before buying matters.
In the UK, Hand Cycling UK runs taster weekends at Stoke Mandeville between April and October, coached by qualified British Cycling coaches and aimed at beginners, where you can borrow a handcycle; previous experience is not needed. Buying your own is a big outlay; in the US, the Challenged Athletes Foundation's equipment grants can help with it.
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Wheelchair racing
For anyone who wants speed and a stopwatch. Racing wheelchairs let athletes reach 18 mph or more, and track events run from the 100m sprint to the 1500m.
The practical way in is your local athletics club, which WheelPower names as the best place to start; ask whether it coaches wheelchair racing and has a racing chair to try. Once you want to race, note that the summer Grand Prix meets at Stoke Mandeville run under IPC rules, which set a minimum age of 11. Wheelchair athletics also includes field events such as shot, discus and javelin, so the same club can cover both.
More about Wheelchair racing7
Para swimming
Para swimming
The one activity here that takes you out of the chair entirely. Swimming is open to people with a very wide range of physical, sensory and intellectual impairments, from relaxed lane swimming to classified competition.
Access is the first thing to check. In the UK the law requires pools to give disabled swimmers the same access as everyone else, and some pools have a Poolpod submersible lift that lets you enter the water independently without a hoist. Electric wheelchairs with wet batteries are not allowed poolside, so the operator has to offer an alternative. Swim England's Hub Clubs specialize in disabled swimmers, assess you at a local pool and point you to the right session.
More about Para swimming8
Powerchair football
The team sport built for people who use electric wheelchairs, and one of very few designed around them. Players of all ages, impairments and genders compete together on the same teams.
You do not need a sports chair to start. Many clubs can supply everything needed to try a session, and some can set you up to play in the powerchair you already use. In England, the Wheelchair Football Association runs the national and regional leagues and lists clubs, festivals and taster events, which are the easiest first step before joining a club.
More about Powerchair football9
Sledge hockey
Para ice hockey (sled hockey)
Fast, physical and played out of the chair. Players sit on double-bladed sleds that let the puck pass beneath and carry two sticks, each with a spiked end to push across the ice and a blade end to shoot.
UK clubs mix disabled and non-disabled players, and the sport is open to anyone over 18. Equipment is the usual barrier to an ice sport, but clubs keep spare sleds and sticks and run come-and-try sessions, so you can have a first go without buying anything.
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Wheelchair fencing
A sport of pure reaction and upper-body skill. The chairs are clamped to the piste in a metal frame, so there is no footwork or chair handling to master: the bout is decided by blade work alone, with modified foil, épée and sabre.
It is open to athletes with spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, lower-limb amputations and other impairments that mean competing seated, which makes it one of the few combat sports that suits a wide range of function. In the UK, British Fencing is the starting point for finding a club that runs wheelchair sessions.
More about Wheelchair fencing11
Para powerlifting
The strength option, and the clearest answer for anyone who mainly wants to train in a gym. The sport is the bench press alone, lifted lying on a bench: lower the bar to the chest, hold it still, then press to locked arms, with three attempts and the heaviest lift in each bodyweight class winning.
It is open to people with spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, lower-limb amputations and other impairments that meet its minimum disability criteria. In the UK, British Weight Lifting's club finder lists local clubs, which are the place to learn the competition lift and find out whether competing is realistic.
More about Para powerlifting12
Para alpine skiing
Sit-skiing
Proof that you do not need a mountain trip to start. In the UK, Disability Snowsport UK runs ski schools at indoor snow centers in Glasgow, Manchester, Tamworth and Hemel Hempstead and works with other slopes, teaching sit-skiing from first lesson to advanced level.
Instructors assess each new skier and match them with suitable adaptive equipment, so there is nothing to buy beforehand. In the US, Move United's network of community programs is the place to look for adaptive ski lessons near you.
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Para table tennis
Among the cheapest sports to try and the easiest to play with anyone. Wheelchair play follows the standard rules with only a slight change to the serve, so a wheelchair user and a standing player can face each other across an ordinary table.
In England, free public tables and Ping Pong Parlour pop-up venues mean a first game costs nothing, and Table Tennis England's finder lists clubs and tables. Players with limited grip sometimes tape the paddle to the hand, and Polybat, an adapted version, suits people with severe motor impairments.
More about Para table tennis14
Para badminton
Wheelchair badminton
A good fit if you can already book a sports hall court near you, because nothing else about the venue has to change. Singles use a half court and doubles the full court, and the area between the net and the front service line is always out, which keeps rallies to a reachable space.
The one piece of gear that matters is a sports wheelchair with stabilizers front and back so it cannot tip over backward; otherwise standard rackets and shuttles do. In England many clubs welcome players with any impairment, and a small number are wheelchair-specific; Badminton England's website has the details.
More about Para badminton15
Wheelchair curling
A tactical team game where precision beats power. The rules follow standard curling except that nobody sweeps, so every shot depends on the delivery alone. Men and women play together on mixed teams, and players need a disability that permanently limits use of the lower limbs.
It is one of the lowest-cost ice sports to try. No special equipment is required to start, and most rinks have chairs and equipment to borrow. The catch is finding a rink, so check how far the nearest one is before getting attached.
More about Wheelchair curling16
Boccia
The competitive sport designed for athletes with high support needs, and it has no Olympic equivalent. Each side throws six soft leather balls, red or blue, per end, and the tactics are what keep players coming back.
Limited arm function is not a barrier. A player who cannot throw or kick can use a ramp, and one who cannot release the ball by hand can use a head or hand pointer, which makes boccia a real option for many powerchair users. In England, Boccia England's club finder lists local clubs and covers classification and competitions.
More about Boccia17
Archery
Para archery
One of the few sports where wheelchair users, standing archers, juniors and seniors all shoot and compete together in the same club. Archers can shoot seated, perched on a stool or standing, and you need no classification to start.
The usual route in the UK is a beginner's course, typically six weeks and costing roughly £30 to £70, which teaches setting up the equipment, shooting and scoring. Many clubs also run free Have A Go sessions, mostly in spring and summer. Ask a club about access before the first session: many add rubber matting and closer parking, and a helper can score and collect arrows for you.
More about Archery18
WheelPower
The UK's national charity for wheelchair sport, based at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the birthplace of the Paralympic movement. Its website is the most useful single map for a UK wheelchair user: a guide to some 40 sports, each with who can take part, what you need and which body to contact.
Beyond the guides, it runs multi-sport festivals in Buckinghamshire, Yorkshire and Wiltshire where you can try several sports in a safe, welcoming setting, and the Inter Spinal Unit Games. Its advice pages cover activity after spinal cord injury, choosing and maintaining a sports wheelchair, and funding for one.
More about WheelPower19
Move United
The best first stop in the US. Formed in 2020 when Disabled Sports USA and Adaptive Sports USA merged, it is a national network of community adaptive sports programs, more than 200 of them in 43 states at the time of the merger, offering more than 50 sports between them.
The value for a newcomer is the local member program: one organization nearby can open the door to several sports, which is far easier than approaching each sport's governing body separately. Its stated aim is for adaptive sport to be available locally to 90% of Americans by 2028, when the Olympics and Paralympics return to the United States.
More about Move United20
English Federation of Disability Sport
Activity Alliance
The place to start in England if you want to be active without committing to a club or a competitive sport. Activity Alliance, the operating name of the English Federation of Disability Sport, is the national charity for disabled people in sport and activity.
Its Get Active pages gather ways to start, including home options such as the Every Body Moves online workouts, designed for disabled people who have not been active for a while and adjustable to your own pace and intensity. For family members, coaches and venues, it also publishes advice, training and resources on making activity inclusive.
More about English Federation of Disability Sport21
Challenged Athletes Foundation
The answer to the cost problem in the US. Specialist gear such as a racing chair, handcycle or sit-ski can cost thousands of dollars, and this charity's annual grants help pay for adaptive sports equipment, coaching, training and competition for people with permanent physical disabilities, at every level.
Equipment grants are for US residents; sport expense grants are also open abroad. In 2026 it awarded 4,033 grants worth more than $7 million, reaching athletes in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and 36 countries. Applications open once a year for about six weeks in the fall, and first-time applicants need documentation from a medical provider showing how their disability affects daily life, so arrange it early.
More about Challenged Athletes Foundation22
National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD)
The strongest free option for training at home on your own schedule, with no club or gym needed. This US public health center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham builds its programs and resources for people with disabilities, and they are free and online.
The one to try first is 14 Weeks to a Healthier You, a personalized web-based physical activity and nutrition program for people with mobility limitations, chronic health conditions and physical disabilities. Its video library on YouTube adds workouts to follow at home.
More about National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD)
