Disability & Sports Blog

At first glance, allowing any athlete with a disability to compete in all sports may seem very inclusive, but it raises serious concerns about fairness. Organized by the International Paralympic Committee, the goal of Paralympic sports is to ensure fair competition, not just to include everyone. Things could easily become unbalanced if every athlete could participate in any activity regardless of how their disability affects them. Classification helps keep things structured and fair. According to the International Paralympic Committee, “Prior to the start of the 21st century, there were no agreed unifying principles to guide the establishment and development of Para sport classification systems” (2026). It wasn’t until 2007 that the IPC Governing Board “led to the adoption of the first edition of the Classification Code” (International Paralympic Committee, 2026). Due to classification, athletes are categorized based on how their specific disability affects their performance in a parti...

       I believe that recognizing the Paralympics and other disability sports as legitimate, professional sporting events rather than branches of something else is one of the most important strategies to boost media coverage of these events. Athletes competing in the Paralympics train and prepare just as intensely as those competing in the Olympic Games. It is important to recognize how hard these athletes work. They can often go unnoticed simply because people may not know of the Paralympics, or they are just uninterested. An athlete is someone proficient in sports or physical exercise requiring strength and skill. This term refers to participants in both the Paralympic and Olympic Games. To bring more attention to these athletes and disabled sports in general, increasing the number of live events and promoting them is a great start. I recall seeing many advertisements for brands like Gatorade or Nike, featuring athletes to promote their products. Paralympic athlete...

Before reviewing this week's content, I directly connected “para” to paralysis or paraplegic. I assumed the Paralympic Games got their name because they were originally designed exclusively for athletes with disabilities, such as mobility impairments or spinal cord injuries. I have never really watched much of the Olympics, so hearing that there was a Paralympics was news to me. Based on this assumption, I also thought of the Paralympics as a separate event rather than as something intentionally created to coexist with the Olympics. It was interesting to learn more about the different events that happen during the Paralympics and how hard these Olympians work. After reviewing this week’s content, I also discovered that the word “para” is derived from the Greek word meaning "beside" or "alongside.” This helps explain exactly what the Paralympics are, an event that takes place alongside the Olympics rather than beneath them. There is an emphasis on equality and respect...

    When it comes to disabilities, I do not have any personal experiences, but I have interacted with family members and classmates who do. The closest experience I have is with my younger brother, who has been diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Ever since my brother was a toddler, it was hard for him to sit still or stay focused. Once he started school, it was very difficult for him to focus on one task at a time. Recently, my younger brother has just started middle school. This has been a very big change for him as middle school can become difficult, due to the number of different subjects being taught. Through my brother, I can witness firsthand how his ADHD can affect his mood as well as his behavior in school. It is not easy for him, and at times, he is discouraged by how hard it is to stay focused and motivated. I always make it my mission to make sure that my brother feels supported. Although his ADHD makes it difficult for him in certain si...