This Comprehensive Policy Research report offers an in-depth review of Nepal’s legal frameworks – at national, provincial, and local levels – with a focus on disability inclusion in sports and the development of adaptive sports. This report shows the current picture to which current laws, policies, and institutional mechanisms support the participation of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in sports, both at grassroots, national and international levels. Despite Nepal’s international commitment such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the study finds disability inclusion in sports is limited and near to neglected in policy as well as practice level which clearly show that Sports for person with disabilities are still in very struggling phase and fragmented.
1.1. Objective and Scope of the Review
The main goal of this review is to assess how well disability inclusion is integrated into the national, provincial, and local level sports policy and its implementation status in Nepal. It specifically focuses on evaluating the legal recognition of inclusive sports and para sports (disability sports) the institutional support for athletes with disabilities, Program & budget allocations, and the alignment of domestic policies with international commitments like the CRPD and SDGs. The review covers national laws ,all provincial acts and some local level acts.
1.2. Key Findings on Disability Inclusion in Sports Laws
- A key finding of this review is that Nepal’s national laws and policies mention disability inclusion, but only in a symbolic way. For example, the National Sports Development Act (2077) and the National Sports Policy (2067) mention inclusive sports but fail to provide operational details, institutional mandates, or enforcement mechanisms. This limits their practical impact on the ground. Furthermore, the Disability Rights Act (2017) recognizes the cultural rights of persons with disabilities, but it does not establish specific legal or budgetary responsibilities to ensure their participation in sports.
- At the provincial and local level, the review reveals that most provinces lack specific legal provisions addressing disability inclusion in sports. Provincial Policies include a provision that mandates the representation of person with disabilities. However, there are no dedicated strategies, governing body, specific programs, or clear accessibility standards to operationalize inclusion in sports.
- The budgetary support for disability sports remains insufficient across all levels of governance. Historical data shows allocation of tokenistic budget only which is not systematic and sustainable, and this pattern of underfunding continues. Additionally, the registration and funding processes for disability sports organizations are fragmented, lacking centralized support and consistent government backing.
1.3. Major Gaps Identified
Several gaps are seen during this comprehensive review.
- There is no comprehensive inclusion strategy or legal definition of “inclusive” or “adaptive” sports in Nepal’s legal framework. Without a clear definition, the operationalization of inclusive sports remains unrecognized, ambiguous, and as a result enforcement is weak.
- Institutional mandates for supporting disability sports are either missing or unclear. Neither the National Sports Council (NSC) nor most provincial sports authorities have dedicated units or personnel responsible for promoting inclusive sports. This results in fragmented responsibilities, least prioritization and a lack of accountability.
- Budget allocations for disability sports are consistently low and declining, shows that disability inclusion is not prioritized or tokenized in national or provincial sports planning. Additionally, the representation of persons with disabilities in sports governance structures is limited.
- Para-athletes and OPDs are rarely formally included in sports decision-making bodies at the national , provincial and local level related to sports.
- There is a lack of coordination between federal, provincial, and Local governments regarding disability sports. Policies are not harmonized, and there are no clear mechanisms to ensure that local and provincial laws align with national commitments and international standards such as the CRPD and SDGs.
1.4. Summary of Policy Recommendations
To address these systemic gaps, the report proposes a range of policy recommendations that aim to foster meaningful and participatory inclusion of persons with disabilities in sports. These recommendations include the following:
- Revise and strengthen national, provincial, and local level sports legislation to explicitly mandate disability inclusion, define inclusive sports, and assign clear institutional responsibilities.
- Establish dedicated Disability Sports Units within the National Sports Council (NSC) and at the provincial as well as local level to ensure responsible specialized teams or advancing inclusive sports.
- Allocate dedicated budgets for disability sports at national, provincial, and local levels, accessible infrastructure development, training programs, and inclusive competitions.
- Institutionalize the representation of persons with disabilities and OPDs in all sports governance bodies, all at national, provincial, and local levels, to ensure that the voices of para-athletes are included in decision-making processes.
- Develop a national roadmap for disability sports that aligns with the CRPD Article 30.5 and SDG targets, creating measurable goals and establishing a monitoring framework.