Experience with People with Disabilities

     While inclusivity and competition is the main idea, and beliefs behind the Paralympics, it is important to have classification systems to make sure the competition is fair. Every sport has different physical demands that some athletes might have difficulty with. If athletes have a much easier time competing in a sport compared to another athlete, it might create an unfair event, and could cause other less athletes to not be as involved in the competition. An athlete could feel left out, and discouraged, when in an environment where they are not actively involved in the competition. The Paralympics should be inclusive to everyone, that has become a main belief, and value of the Paralympics, and Special Olympics (Barr, 2025). The four core values of the Paralympics are determination, equality, inspiration and courage. Not being inclusive to all would not be in accordance with their core values. It’s important with this inclusivity to have a strong classification s...

 Society's Limitations I believe that to better educate others about disabilities, the key is just exposure. Lots of people know about disabilities, but not in depth. People do not fully understand what disabilities are, how they affect the disabled, and how it is a part of the disabled person’s life. People see someone with a disability, and immediately will feel sorry for the person. People don’t know how to approach, or even talk to people with disabilities. I believe this can be solved through education. While children are growing up they can be insensitive, and harsh, making it difficult for children with disabilities to be friends with them. I believe that educating people from a young age will give them enough experience, and understanding of disabilities. As of 2014, there were 1 billion people with disabilities in the world, as the population has continued to increase the number of people with disabilities has increased with it (Disability and The Body). There is no reason...

 Kyle Jones Adaptive Technology in Sports       Technology continues to advance in all fields, whether it's software development, mechanical engineering, renewable energy, or prosthetics, and health technology. With this athletes are gaining access to new, and improving technology, to overall improve their performance. Recently athletes have gained access to all sorts of technology dedicated to improving their performance, and recovery. These technologies can be through tracking their performance, giving different types of therapy for recovery, or providing better support during strenuous activities. Another type of technology athletes might use is adaptive technology. For disabled athletes adaptive technology are things like prosthetics, such as running blades. Running blades are prosthetics for the lower limbs, designed to maximize the runner's capabilities. Running blades, unlike most prosthetics, do not try to mimic human bones, rather mimicking the action, and j...

  Increasing Media Coverage Kyle Jones     To increase media coverage of the Paralympics, I would start with having more commercials, and ads throughout the year, not just when it is getting close to the event. Since the Paralympics happens every four years, commercials would begin some time after the last one, but still a couple of years out from the next. As time passes, and we get closer to the event the ads will become more frequent. This will build anticipation, and almost a countdown until the event. Having the commercials air on sports related channels. This will grab the attention of people who are already invested in sports. Another place to have ads are on popular sports talk shows. For example the "Pat McAfee Show", is one of the most entertaining, and popular sports talk shows. If this talk show or similar, were to talk about the upcoming Paralympics, there would be much more people interested in watching. Having popular people who are involved in sports using...

 Kyle  Jones The Real Olympics Doctor Ludwig Guttman, known as the “Father of the Paralympics” referred to the Paralympics as “the real Olympics”. He said this because he believed that the Paralympics were a better example of the ideals of the Olympics, than the Olympics themselves. The original Olympic games of course took place long ago in Olympia, and were a religious festival. The modern Olympics was founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin, who founded the International Olympic Committee, with the first modern Olympic games being held in Athens two years later. Pierre de Coubertin created the modern Olympics with the goal of promoting peace, unity, and healthy competition. The International Olympic Committee with these goals in mind made their principle “the most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning, but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering, but fighting well.” I agree with Dr.Guttman’s belief that the Paralympics adheres to the Olympics...

  History of the Paralympics Before looking at the readings and videos I had no idea what the prefix “para” in paralympics meant. I hadn’t given the prefix’s meaning any thought, and if I were to guess, I would have said something along the lines of disability. After reviewing the material I learned the prefix means “alongside” so the Paralympics are the “parallel games”. Of course this makes sense, and aligns with what the Paralympics are, and what its goals are.  After learning the meaning of the prefix I was curious about what the Paralympics mission statement was. A quick Google search revealed their mission statement is “to enable Paralympic athletes to achieve sporting excellence, inspire the world, and promote the Paralympic values.” (IPC). After learning this, I watched the video “History of the Paralympic Games’. I was surprised to learn how the games started. Veterans injured in World War II were just sitting around their hospital, lacking physical activities importa...

  Experience With People With Disabilities Kyle Jones I have had a lot of experience with people with disabilities throughout my life. I grew up around Galloway, not far from the Absecon Field of Dreams. Being an avid baseball player this is somewhere the teams I played on would volunteer at. Volunteering at the Field of Dreams at a younger age helped prepare for the club I would become the President of at Stockton University. The fall semester of my Sophomore year I joined Stockton University's Unified Sports Club. Unified Sports is a Special Olympics program, where Special Olympic athletes play on teams with people without disabilities. I was the only partner in the club that was not a senior, so after one year of participating in the club I was gifted the title and responsibility of being the President.     Because of participating in the Field of Dreams, and Unified Sports I have much more experience with people with disabilities than the average person. All...