While precise national numbers of adaptive sports participants aren’t available, there is an upward trend at high school level. Figures from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) show an increase from 9,491 athletes in the 2015-16 school year to 11,439 in 2017-18. According to their data, the most popular adaptive sports are basketball, football and handball.
Several academic studies support the hypothesis that adaptive sports improves employment. Disabled Sports USA surveyed its chapter members in 2009, and found that the employment rate was more than twice as high as for the general disabled population.
