Barriers and Promotion Strategies for Physical Activity Among Deaf College Students: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Physical activity is widely regarded as a key component of student health and well-being in higher education, yet deaf and hard-of-hearing college students continue to encounter persistent barriers when engaging in sport, exercise, and physical education activities. Although research on accessibility and inclusion in universities has grown, relevant evidence remains distributed across multiple fields, including deaf education, disability studies, physical activity, and adapted physical education. This narrative review draws on existing literature to examine barriers and promotion strategies shaping physical activity participation among deaf college students in adapted physical education contexts. Drawing on studies identified through Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed, the review adopts a thematic approach to synthesize patterns across studies. The findings suggest that participation is shaped not only by communication access, but also by interrelated factors such as social belonging, instructional practices, and institutional conditions. Communication barriers remain the most persistent challenge, yet they are closely embedded within broader social and environmental dynamics that influence the consistency and quality of participation. The literature also indicates that the most promising strategies tend to integrate accessible communication and instruction with inclusive program design and sustained support from peers, faculty, and institutional systems. At the same time, the current evidence base remains limited, particularly in relation to conceptual integration and the systematic evaluation of intervention effectiveness. Overall, this review highlights that physical activity participation among deaf college students should be understood not only as a health issue, but also as a broader matter of inclusion and equitable participation in university life.