Disability Sports
While 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. Date | Topic | Author |
|---|---|---|
| 2011-11-09 | Football Players Prone to Late-Life Disability | University of Missouri |
| 2011-08-09 | Extremity Games Adaptive Sports for Athletes with Disabilities | Disabled World |
| 2011-07-06 | Accessible Racing, People with Disabilities, and Veterans | Wendy Taormina-Weiss |
| 2011-03-30 | Preventing Baseball and Softball Injuries | Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation |
| 2009-09-12 | Tokyo 2009 Asian Youth Paralympic Games | Tokyo 2016 Olympic Bid |
| 2009-06-29 | Disability Archery and Bowhunting - Sports for All Abilities | Thomas C. Weiss |
| 2009-02-17 | Embracing Equality in Sports Coaching | equalitylink.co.uk |
| 2008-12-11 | National Sports Center for the Disabled | Alfred |
| 2008-12-11 | Sports Provide Outlet for the Disabled | Aldene |
| 2008-03-12 | Disability Martial Arts Association | Disabled 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.
