It is heartening that Singapore is forging ahead towards more accessible sports activities by encouraging greater participation for persons with disabilities (Boosting inclusivity in arts and sports, April 7). This will promote greater social inclusiveness and unity, and encourage persons with disabilities to live better and healthier.

Besides the benefits to mind and body, sports is a powerful enabler that positively impacts lives. For instance, martial arts training has been shown to have a positive influence on self-perceptions of competence in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

New York Times best-selling author and former presenter for the Ultimate Fighting Championship Brian Kilmeade once said that sports is the “best classroom for life”.

Sports can also impart positive life values such as discipline and self-regulation, and help to reframe failure and victory not as end states, but rather as learning opportunities to recalibrate and improve.

To refine these programmes, sports coaches could gain more in-depth knowledge about special needs, and be sensitive to students and tailor their programmes accordingly. They could, for instance, not yell at special needs participants to keep quiet when the coach is talking, but instead use adaptive ways to manage participants’ behaviour for better communication.

This would help make such programmes better, and greatly contribute towards fulfilling Singapore’s Enabling Masterplan 2030 to make the Republic a truly inclusive society in which persons with disabilities become integral and contributing members.

Woon Wee Min