Disability Sports


Wheelchair racingWhile sport has value in everyone's life, it is even more important in the life of a person with a disability. This is because of the rehabilitative influence sport can have not only on the physical body but also on rehabilitating people with a disability into society. Furthermore, sport teaches independence. Nowadays, people with a disability participate in high performance as well as in competitive and recreational sport.

The number of people with disabilities involved in sport and physical recreation is steadily increasing around the world with organized sports for athletes with disabilities divided into three main disability groups, sports for the deaf, sports for persons with physical disabilities, and sports for persons with intellectual disabilities.

From the late 1980s, organizations began to include athletes with disabilities in sporting events such as the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games. However, many sports are practiced by persons with a disability outside the formal sports movements, for example: Wheelchair basketball, Wheelchair dancing, Weightlifting, Swimming, and many other sporting activities you can join if you are mentally or physical disabled.

Major disability sporting events include:

Paralympic Games - A multi-sport event for athletes with physical, mental and sensorial disabilities. This includes mobility disabilities, amputees, visual disabilities and those with cerebral palsy. The Paralympic Games are held every four years, following the Olympic Games, and are governed by the International Paralympic Committee.

Deaflympics - The Summer and Winter Deaflympics are among the world's fastest growing sports events.

Special Olympics - The global Special Olympics movement got its start on 20 July 1968, when the First International Special Olympics Games were held at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois, USA. But the concept of Special Olympics was born much earlier, when Eunice Kennedy Shriver started a day camp for people with intellectual disabilities at her home in 1962.

Disability Commonwealth Games - For the first time in the Games history a number of Para-Sports were included in a fully inclusive Sports Program in Manchester 2002 when 20 countries sent both male and female elite athletes with a disability to compete in 10 events across 5 different Para-Sports; Athletics, Lawn Bowls, Swimming, Table Tennis and Weightlifting. “The Commonwealth has always said it wants to play a lead role in social issues,” says Steadward, who is president of the International paralympic Committee. “What better way than by becoming the first major sports competition to integrate athletes with disabilities?”

 

Paralympic sports
Special Olympics
Deaf sports
Other Disability Sports
Extremity Games
Alpine skiing
Archery
Athletics
*Basketball ID
Boccia
*Bowls
*Cue sports
Cycling
Equestrian
Football 5-a-Side
Football 7-a-Side
Goalball
Ice sledge hockey
*Ice sledge racing
Judo
*Nine-pin bowling
Nordic Skiing
Powerlifting
Sailing
Shooting
*Showdown
Swimming
Table tennis
*Ten-pin bowling
Tennis
*Torball
Volleyball
Wheelchair basketball
Wheelchair curling
*Wheelchair dance sport
Wheelchair fencing
Wheelchair rugby
Wheelchair tennis
Alpine skiing
Aquatics
Athletics
Badminton
Basketball
Bocce
Bowling
Cross-country skiing
Cycling
Equestrian
Figure skating
Floor hockey
Football
Golf
Gymnastics
Powerlifting
Roller skating
Sailing
Snowboarding
Snowshoeing
Softball
Short track speed skating
Table tennis
Team handball
Tennis
Volleyball
Alpine skiing
Athletics
Badminton
Basketball
Beach volleyball
Bowling
Cross-country skiing
Curling
Cycling
Cricket
Football
Handball
Ice hockey
Judo
Karate
Orienteering
Shooting
Snowboarding
Skibob
Swimming
Table tennis
Tae kwon do
Tennis
Volleyball
Water polo
Wrestling
Blind cricket
Blind golf
Electric wheelchair football
Electric wheelchair hockey
Golf
Handcycling
Disability Shooting and Hunting
Wheelchair baseball
Wheelchair hockey
Wheelchair rugby
Wheelchair skateboarding
Skateboarding
Wakeboarding
Rock Climbing
Surfing
Moto Cross
Kayaking
BMX Biking

Note: * Denotes discontinued events.

Disability Sports Articles

Pub. DateTopicAuthor
2011-11-09Football Players Prone to Late-Life DisabilityUniversity of Missouri
2011-08-09Extremity Games Adaptive Sports for Athletes with DisabilitiesDisabled World
2011-07-06Accessible Racing, People with Disabilities, and VeteransWendy Taormina-Weiss
2011-03-30Preventing Baseball and Softball InjuriesKessler Institute for Rehabilitation
2009-09-12Tokyo 2009 Asian Youth Paralympic GamesTokyo 2016 Olympic Bid
2009-06-29Disability Archery and Bowhunting - Sports for All AbilitiesThomas C. Weiss
2009-02-17Embracing Equality in Sports Coachingequalitylink.co.uk
2008-12-11National Sports Center for the DisabledAlfred
2008-12-11Sports Provide Outlet for the DisabledAldene
2008-03-12Disability Martial Arts AssociationDisabled World

  • Disability Sports Videos - Video clips covering a wide range of games, disability sports, and events for the disabled. These video clips include adaptive sports demonstrations and instructions.

  • U.K. Disability Sport Events - Disability Sport Events (DSE) create participation opportunities for disabled people with all impairments by providing events in various sports which allow athletes to follow the pathways to international success.
  • Disabled Sport USA - Provide national leadership and opportunities for individuals with disabilities to develop independence, confidence, and fitness through participation in community sports, recreation and educational programs.

    Disabled Sports Australia - The Australian Sports Commission coordinates a network of agencies around the country that are working to connect sporting organisations with disability service organisations to build sustainable and inclusive communities.

  • Disability Sports - Also called disabled sports, are played by persons with a disability, including physical and intellectual disabilities. Many of these are based on existing sports but modified to meet the needs of persons with a disabilities, they are also referred to as adapted sports. However, not all disabled sports are adapted, several sports that have been specifically created for persons with a disability have no equivalent in able-bodied sports.

  • The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) - The national body responsible for developing sport for disabled people in England. As a registered charity they rely on funding to support their work. Working with key partners, including National Disability Sport Organisations (NDSOs), they aim to increase and improve sports opportunities.

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In This Section

Adaptive Snow Sports
Blind Sports
Commonwealth Games
Deaflympics
Disability Football
Paralympic Games
Special Olympics
Sports News
Water Sports
Wheelchair Sports


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