Townsend, Robert C.Randrup, KelseyClare, OliviaRoberts, William M.2026-06-042026-06-042026-05-07Townsend, R., Randrup, K., Clare, O., & Roberts, W. (2026). Understanding dis/ableism in sport coaching. In Handbook of Sport Coaching Research (pp. 191-202). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035341641.000269781035341641https://hdl.handle.net/10289/18323This chapter provides an overview of the rapidly evolving field of coaching in disability and para sport. In adopting a critical position, we argue that coaching in disability sport is more than adapting practice—it requires a critical understanding of the social and cultural factors shaping disabled athletes’ experiences in sport and the role coaching plays in either resisting or reinforcing dominant narratives of disability. We provide readers with the theoretical language to interrogate the intersections of disability, sport, and coaching, drawing from Critical Disability Studies (CDS) to introduce the concepts of disablism and ableism, and how these are implicated in coaching discourse, practice, and coach education. In providing researchers and practitioners with a sensitising framework drawn from critical disability studies, we argue for more participatory and inclusive approaches to coaching research—ensuring that the field collectively moves beyond accommodation and towards transformation.enThis is an authors accepted version of a chapter published in the Handbook of Sport Coaching Research. © 2026 Edward Elgar Publishing.dis/ableismsport coachingChapter in Book10.4337/9781035341641.00026