Experience with People with Disabilities

 What I Have Learned At the beginning of the semester I believed I knew a lot about disabled sports. After the first couple weeks it became evident to me that I had a lot to learn, and think about. I was able to learn a lot about the history and the start of the Paralympics. Learning about the beginning of the Paralympics was very interesting. The first game originated as wheelchair archery for injured service men, and women. The purpose of these games, originally named “Stoke Mandeville Games”, was to bring hope to veterans who were injured in the ongoing war. This was by far my favorite topic covered in this class. It made me think a lot about how the Paralympics has evolved, and how it has continued to have a positive effect on the world.  The most shocking thing I learned about was the scandals during the Paralympics, and the Paralympics and Special Olympics being separate. I at first believed the Paralympics, and Special Olympics were different parts of the same organiz...

 Special Olympics with Paralympics The joining of these two will also offer a higher level of competition, and recognition for the athletes. With more athletes competing, and higher levels of competition, the athletes will experience a more competitive environment. The athletes will receive more recognition for their hard work and dedication. Special Olympic athletes would also have more resources, and developmental pathways, that are not readily available. I believe athletes with intellectual disabilities should be allowed to compete in Paralympics competitions. As stated above it is in alignment with both the Paralympics, and Special Olympics core values. There are some limitations to this however. Athletes should continue to have classifications according to their skill level, and their disabilities. This will ensure that athletes have fair competition against similarly skilled athletes. Creating a fair competition when examining athletes with different disabilities might be d...

 Ban of Athletes The IPC’s decision to ban Russian, and Belarusian athletes in recent Paralympic Games has sparked some debate. The decision was made following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and aims to uphold the IPC's core values of promoting peace, fair play, and political neutrality.​ Athletes from these countries are still able to compete just not as a representative of their country. Instead they must compete as “neutrals”, and will be represented by the Paralympic flag and anthem.  Not only do I believe this is the right decision by the IPC, I believe it is in full alignment with their values. The IPC’s mission statement is “to enable Paralympic athletes to achieve sporting excellence and inspire and excite the world". (IPC, 2014). This is without the nuisance of geopolitical issues. The IPC's decision had to reflect neutrality, while still responding to a significant issue. Not allowing athletes to compete as Russian or Belarusian athletes ackno...