Adaptive Sport

Original Editor - Naomi O'Reilly Top Contributors - Naomi O'Reilly, Rucha Gadgil, Kim Jackson and Sheilla Witty Kayitesi  

Introduction[edit | edit source]

Adaptive sports are competitive or recreational sports for people with disabilities.  Adaptive sports often run parallel to typical sport activities.  However, they allow modifications necessary for people with disabilities to participate and many sports use a classification system that puts athletes with physical challenges on an even playing field with each other.  For instance athletes with hemiplegia competing in track events are usually classified T37.  The T is for track (F37 is for field events), the 3 represents a cerebral palsy classification and the 7 specifies an athlete with weakness/spasticity on one side of the body.  The use of a detailed classification system based on type of disability allows for a more fair competition. For events such as the National Junior Disability Championships (NJDC), qualifying standards are based on age and disability classification.

Frequent recreational physical activity has been proved to improve health by lowering the secondary health effects of a sedentary lifestyle in the general population. However, compared to people without disabilities, people with physical difficulties engage in recreational activity less frequently. Recreational or competitive sport activities improve the quality of life, mood and life satisfaction in people with disability,

Paralympic Sports[edit | edit source]

Paralympic Summer Sports

Paralympic Winter Sports

Non-Paralympic Sport[edit | edit source]

Resources[edit | edit source]

International Paralympic Committee[edit | edit source]

Founded on 22 September 1989 as an international non-profit organisation, the IPC is an athlete-centred organisation composed of an elected Governing Board, a management team and various Standing Committees and Councils, headquartered in Bonn, Germany. The IPC’s primary responsibilities are to support our 200 plus members develop Para Sport and advocate social inclusion, ensure the successful delivery and organisation of the Paralympic Games and act as the international federation for 10 Para Sports with a vision to make for an inclusive world through Para Sport.

International Federation Sport Climbing - Paraclimbing Section[edit | edit source]

The IFSC has been hosting Paraclimbing Competitions since 2006, when the first international event saw athletes from four National Federations compete in Ekaterinburg, Russia. The movement has grown in recent years, with a regular circuit being added to the IFSC Calendar. It has become tradition that the IFSC Paraclimbing World Championships run alongside the IFSC Climbing World Championships, promoting athletes with a disability on the same stage as other athletes. 

References[edit | edit source]

Children's hemiplegia and stroke association available from:https://chasa.org/adaptive-para-sports/accessed 25th Nov 2022