Series documents Steadward's work at the University of Alberta as a professor and founder of the Research and Training Centre for Athletes with Disabilities in Edmonton, Alberta. Series also documents athletes, coaches, athletic teams, and researchers accessing the programs, services, training, and testing facilities at the Research and Training Centre for Athletes with Disabilities.

The Research and Training Centre for Athletes with Disabilities was established by Steadward in 1978. It was later renamed the Rick Hansen Centre in 1987, and finally the Steadward Centre for Personal & Physical Achievement in 2000. The centre is an internationally-renowned disability research centre within the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation at the University of Alberta, and continues to support sport and fitness of people experiencing disability.

Series mainly consists of photographs, slides, and negatives of athletes participating in various disability sporting events and using training equipment and facilities. Series also contains video and audio recordings, presentation notes, manuals, guides, and annual reports.