Service Quality and User Satisfaction in Sports Facilities for Persons with Disabilities in Japan

Abstract

Sports facilities for persons with disabilities in Japan can becategorized into two types: persons with disabilities-onlyfacilities (PWDO) and inclusive-type facilities (IT). Thepurpose of this study was to identify the factors that affectuser satisfaction with these two different types of facilitiesby assessing how users evaluate the quality of the servicesthey receive. A questionnaire survey was conducted amongindividual users of a PWDO in Osaka and an IT in Kobe. Thequestionnaire included 33 items related to service qualityand an additional item related to user satisfaction. A totalof 105 responses were obtained (69 users of the PWDO, and36 users of the IT). The 33 items related to service qualitywere assessed by factor analysis (principal factor analysisand normal varimax rotation) for each facility. Using the factor scores obtained for each facility, multiple regressionanalysis (stepwise method) was then performed to examinethe factors affecting user satisfaction. The analysis resultswere as follows: 1) Only 4 affecting factors were identifiedfor the IT (Cronbach's α: 0.961-0.905, cumulative contribu- tion ratio: 69.6%), compared with 7 factors for the PWDO(Cronbach's α: 0.948-0.653, cumulative contribution ratio:68.6%). 2) Only the "tangibles" factor was associated withuser satisfaction in the IT (R2 = 0.345, F = 8.678). 3) The"empathy" and "information" factors were associated withuser satisfaction in the PWDO (R2 = 0.287, F = 10.972). 4)The PWDO provided a wider range of services than the IT.In general, persons with disabilities value information onsports facilities.