The Paralympics and Athletes with

Intellectual Disabilities

An Introduction to Eligibility and Classification

This presentation will tell you....

• About what the term ‘intellectual disability’ means

• Where people with intellectual disabilities (ID) fit into the Paralympics

• How a person with ID becomes eligible to compete in Paralympic level events

• What ‘classification’ means for athletes with ID in the Paralympics

What does having an intellectual disability mean?

People across the world use different words to mean the same thing. Such as learning disabilities and learning disability, mental retardation, developmental disabilities and previously mental handicap.

However, most people tend to prefer the term intellectual disability or intellectual impairment

But, what does it actually mean?

Intellectual disability means a significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information and to learn and apply new skills (impaired intelligence). This results in a reduced ability to cope independently (impaired social functioning), and begins before adulthood, with a lasting effect on development, (World Health Organisation)

Where do people with intellectual disabilities (ID) fit into the Paralympics?

The Paralympics is for elite athletes who have a disability and want to compete at the highest level of competition

The word “Paralympic” derives from “para” (beside or alongside) and “Olympic” and illustrates how the two movements exist side-by-side.

Learn about the history of the Paralympic movement http://www.paralympic.org/TheIPC/HWA/HistoryoftheMovement

The Paralympic Movement offers sporting opportunities for athletes who have a

primary impairment belonging to one of 10 ‘eligible’ impairment types

Intellectual Impairment is one of the 10 impairment groups

This means that athletes with intellectual impairments will only compete against other athletes with intellectual impairments

How does a person with ID become eligible to compete at Paralympic level events?

What are the ‘eligibility criteria’?The eligibility criteria are taken from the World Health Definition of Intellectual Disabilities. Detailed guidance is available on www.inas.org/technical/eligibility-and-classification

What does ‘classification’ mean for athletes with ID in the Paralympics?

What does ‘classification’ mean for athletes with ID in the Paralympics?

Even though a person with an ID may demonstrate that they have the initial

impairment they still have to go through classification

Why?

The impairment must be shown to impact on the performance of

that specific sport

An example of this would be a person who has a left hand

amputation, but is an excellent right handed pistol shot and an excellent swimmer, with pistol shooting he may qualify for the

Olympics but in swimming he may qualify for the Paralympics

I see, so classification is needed to show

that having an ID will impair your ability to

play the sport

You got it!

What does ‘classification’ mean for athletes with ID in the Paralympics?

Sports Classification – rules and regulations

Each Federation will have their own ‘Classification Rules and Regulations’ which will describe the process of classification for that sport e.g. Athletics see http://ipc-athletics.paralympic.org/Classification/

For Paralympic competition these procedures must adhere to the IPC ‘Classification Code’ see http://www.paralympic.org/Classification/Code

Sports classification is governed by the International Sports Federation for that sport. For Swimming and Athletics this is the IPC, for Table Tennis ITTF

Sports classification for athletes with intellectual disabilities

This will consist of two or possibly three components

It will always consist of 1.Completing the Sport Cognitive Test Battery2.In competition observation

The third component will be Sports Specific Tests. This will be the case for Athletics and Table Tennis, but not swimming where additional analysis takes place through observation

Sports Class Status

Athlete not been

classified before

The athlete has been classified

before but must be assessed again

The athlete has been classified

before and does not need to

undergo evaluation again

All athletes must be assessed at least twice

before being ‘Confirmed’

More information – click on these websites

The International Paralympic Committee

…….Or see the next slide for more resources including videos and PowerPoint presentations

Resources – visit www.inas.org

More resources