The area in which people with disabilities most want support when exercising is 'financial support,' according to a survey.

On the 28th, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced the results of the '2025 Disability Sports and Leisure Survey (as of September '24 to August '25)' conducted with the Korea Disabled Sports Association targeting 10,000 registered disabled individuals nationwide (aged 10 to 69).

According to the announcement, when asked what support they most wanted when exercising, after 'financial support,' responses included 'sports equipment and gear for people with disabilities' at 15.5%, 'disability sports programs' at 15%, 'convenience facilities for people with disabilities in sports facilities' at 12.8%, and 'disability sports coaching' at 9.1%.

Regarding the sports facilities they would like to use in their living area in the future, the response for public sports facilities-integrated facilities was the highest at 33.7%, showing an increase of 4.9 percentage points compared to the previous year.

The participation rate in disability sports and leisure activities (exercising outside the home at least twice a week) was surveyed at 34.8%, showing a slight decrease of 0.4 percentage points compared to the previous year. The 'participation rate' is the proportion of disabled individuals who exercise outside the home at least twice a week for 30 minutes or more each time.

Regarding the primary exercise locations used, responses showed that 18.2% use 'sports facilities,' 9.4% exercise at home, and 45.4% use 'outdoor/trails/parks near their residence.'

When investigating the reasons for using sports facilities among respondents, the response 'because the distance is close' was the highest at 38.2%, followed by 'because the facility usage fee is free or affordable' at 22.8%, and 'because there are professional sports facilities' at 17.5%.

Among respondents who do not use sports facilities, the most common reason cited was 'because it is difficult to exercise alone' at 26.8%, followed by 'because the sports facility is far away' at 17.1%, and 'because of lack of time' at 13.6%.

Looking at the happiness index by type of participation in disability sports and leisure activities, the happiness level of 'complete participants' was the highest at an average of 3.39 points, followed by 'incomplete participants' at an average of 3.33 points. It was found that disabled individuals with higher levels of participation in sports and leisure activities have higher levels of happiness compared to those who do not participate as much.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has increased the support amount for the construction of the 'Bandabi Sports Center,' a socially integrated sports facility, by 1 billion won per site compared to the previous year, and is providing 'Disability Sports Course Vouchers' to 25,900 registered disabled individuals aged 5 to 69 nationwide.

Furthermore, they continue to promote policies to activate disability sports and leisure activities by operating Disability Fitness Certification Centers for maintaining health and improving physical fitness for disabled individuals (in 17 provinces nationwide) and supporting various disability sports and leisure programs.