Designing for Diversity: The Importance of Inclusive Design in Sports

This article was authored by Jana Beneito Molina, Leslie Sern, Arbresha Ibrahimi, Ph.D. and Carlos Jarquin, members of WDO’s 2023-2025 Young Designers Circle. 

It’s no secret that sports benefit our mental and physical health. They help us create communities and build that sense of belonging and identity that we, as social beings, need to survive. Community can be crucial for our survival – it’s our way to develop a sense of identity, support and social connection. Sadly, a large faction of society can feel excluded given that sports and its surroundings are often designed with the “one-size-fits-all” idea. Inclusive design can play a critical role in making sports a truly wide open environment for everyone.

The rise in women’s sport has changed the way we design for sports

For many years, women have felt excluded from sports. From uniforms, to gear, to equipment, the sports industry has rarely been designed for women. However, the landscape is shifting. Watching women’s sports is on the rise and companies are seeing the need for designing gear meant to optimize female performance.

Just before the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Nike introduced its first-ever soccer boot designed exclusively for women, a great example for sports companies to abandon the “shrink it and pink it” philosophy when designing products for women. Creating products that consider female bodies is crucial for performance, comfort and injury prevention, such as ACL injuries which is one of the most common injuries among top players in recent years. It has proven how investing in women’s sports isn’t charity – it’s an investment.

The rising popularity of women’s sports brings together a different and more diverse crowd than a men’s game; there are more girls and families. Existing stadiums, designed primarily for men, often lack family-friendly amenities, but they can learn from the Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Stadium. The CPKC Stadium is the first of its kind built specifically for women’s sports, demonstrating how stadiums can be designed with a more thoughtful and inclusive perspective, including nursing rooms, noise-sensitive rooms, more gender inclusive bathrooms.

Design can make teams more diverse

One barrier to entering, and continuing in sports, is uniforms. Some are designed for aesthetic purposes, simply to make athletes look good. Others with the intention of saving costs by maintaining the status quo. However, clubs should offer a range of apparel that feels inclusive and comfortable. Take, for example, Netball NSW in Australia, which provided its athletes with options that include long-sleeve tops and pants, compression wear, singlets and t-shirts, to enable all participants, regardless of their background or level, feel included. For this to become mainstream, we as designers must also participate in dismantling historical rigidity and traditional attire that affects participation in sports.

It’s not charity, it’s an investment

An estimated 15% of the world, or 1 in 6 people, lives with a disability, yet adaptive sports programmes remain scarce. Research shows that these programmes not only improve quality of life but also boost employment retention rates. But the lack of funding, transportation, adaptable equipment and knowledgeable coaches makes it difficult to find and participate in these programmes. Designers can bridge the accessibility gap in sports by creating devices and infrastructure that promote equity in sports.

Take Lydia Sempere’s case, for example. Lydia, a professional driver racing in the Clio Cup from Spain uses a cochlear implant and has had to overcome continuous barriers since childhood. Being deaf was not going to stop her from participating in motorsports and competing at a professional level. After much effort and with the support of the right sponsors, she contacted Advanced Bionics (the brand of her cochlear implant) to design a helmet that allowed her to use their devices while driving, enabling her to hear. Although it resulted in a happy ending, the journey was never easy. Stories like Lydia’s are unconventional and often costly. Designers in sports companies can help change perspectives; designing for inclusion isn’t an option, it is a need.

Inclusive design principles are now being worked into the planning and construction of sports facilities to make sure they’re accessible to athletes and fans of all abilities. Smart technology has played a significant role in this through audio descriptions for the visually impaired, and live captioning for the hard of hearing.

Some venues even offer mobile apps that allow adjustments for lighting, sounds, and seat location. These technological advancements can greatly improve the experience of disabled individuals at live events, creating a more harmonious experience for everyone.

It’s been a long time coming…

While there’s been some progress for inclusive design in sports—like better gear for women and more inclusive facilities—there’s still a long way to go. One of the biggest barriers is the lack of awareness, so by highlighting these issues, we can change the narrative. As designers, we can participate in reshaping the world of sports by pioneering how inclusive design can enhance performance, comfort, and safety for athletes of all backgrounds and abilities. This evolution isn’t just about fairness; it’s a strategic investment in building stronger and more connected communities through sports.