Monday, 30 November 2009 09:27

Wheelchair is the sixth (alphabetically) of the six major disability categories at the Paralympic Games.

In order to be eligible to compete in this category an athlete must generally have at least a 10% loss of function of their lower limbs.  Some of the more common conditions which may result in individuals being eligible include: traumatic paraplegia and quadriplegia, spina bifida, poliomyelitis, amputees, cerebral palsy and all non ambulant les autres athletes.

In the Paralympics, Wheelchair is abbreviated to WC.

The Paralympic sports participated in by Wheelchair athletes are:

 

Archery:

Archery is open to athletes with a physical disability. 

 

Classification is broken up into three classes:

W1 -  Spinal Cord and Cerebral Palsy athletes with impairment in all four limbs

W2 -  Wheelchair users with full arm function

Standing -  Amputee, Les Autres and Cerebral Palsy standing athletes. Some athletes in the standing group will sit on a high stool for support but will still have their feet touching the ground.

 

Athletics:

Athletics is open to all disability groups and uses a functional classification system. 

 

A brief classification guide is as follows: (prefixing F for field athletes or T for track athletes)

F or T 11-13 are Visually Impaired

F or T 20 are Learning Difficulty

F or T 31-38 are Cerebral Palsy

F or T 41- 46 Amputee and Les Autres

T 51- 54 Wheelchair track athletes

F51- 58 Wheelchair field athletes

 

Boccia:

Boccia is open to athletes with Cerebral Palsy who compete from a wheelchair.

 

Classification is split into four groups:

BC1: Athletes are either throwers or foot players (with Cerebral Palsy).  Athletes may compete with an assistant
BC2: For throwing players (with Cerebral Palsy).  Players may not have an assistant
BC3: Athletes (with severe disability) who use an assistive device and may be assisted by a person, but this assistant must keep their back to the court.
BC4: For throwing players. Players may not have an assistant (Non Cerebral Palsy).

 

 

Powerlifting:

Powerlifting is open to athletes with a physical disability.

 

Classification is by weight category as in able bodied powerlifting competition.

 

 

Sailing:

Sailing is open to Amputee, Cerebral Palsy, Visually Impaired, Wheelchair and Les Autres athletes.

 

Classification for the Sonar is based on a functional points system with low points for severely disabled athletes rising by scale to high points for less disabled athletes. Each crew of three is allowed a maximum of 12 points between them.

The singled handed 2.4m can be crewed regardless of points but the sailor must have at least a minimum level of disability which prevents them from competing on equal terms with able bodied sailors.

 

 

Table Tennis:

Table tennis is open to athletes with a physical or Learning Difficulty spread over 11 classes.

Classes 1 to 5 encompass athletes competing from a Wheelchair with class 1 being the most severely disabled and class 5 the least disabled.

Classes 6 to 10 comprise ambulant athletes with class 6 the most severely disabled and class 10 the least.

Class 11 is for athletes with a Learning Difficulty.

 

Volleyball:

Volleyball is open to athletes with a physical disability and has both a sitting and standing event.

 

In sitting volleyball the court is smaller than standard and has a lower net.

Standing volleyball uses a full sized court and normal height net.

In the sitting games the only classification is the minimal disability ruling; athletes may compete if they have a disability that prevents them from competing on equal terms with able bodied athletes.

 

Wheelchair Basketball:

Basketball is open to wheelchair athletes. 

 

Wheelchair athletes are classified according to their physical ability and are given a points rating between 1 - 4.5.  One pointers being the most severely disabled and 4.5 the least disabled.  A team on court comprises five players and may not exceed a total of 14 points at any given time.

 

 

Wheelchair Fencing:

Fencing is open to wheelchair athletes.

 

There are only three classes:

Cclass A incorporates those athletes with good balance and recovery and full trunk movement;

Class B those with poor balance and recovery but full use of one or both upper limbs;

Class C athletes with severe physical impairment in all four limbs.

 

 

Wheelchair Tennis:

Tennis is open to athletes with a mobility related disability which means that they cannot compete on equal terms with able bodied tennis players.

 

The game is played from a wheelchair, with two classes, wheelchair and quadriplegic (disability in all four limbs).

 

 

Wheelchair Rugby:

Athletes are classified on a points system similar to wheelchair basketball, with the most severely disabled athlete being graded 0.5 points rising to 3.5 points for the physically more able.  Each team has four players and is allowed a maximum of 8 points on court at any one time.

Monday, 30 November 2009 09:23

Visually Impaired is the fifth (alphabetically) of the six major disability categories at the Paralympic Games.

The disability includes athletes who have any condition which interferes with 'normal' vision.  This incorporates the entire range of vision difficulties from correctable conditions through to total blindness.

In the Paralympics, Visually Impaired is abbreviated to VI.

The Paralympic sports participated in by Visually impaired athletes are:

 

Athletics:

Athletics is open to all disability groups and uses a functional classification system. 

 

A brief classification guide is as follows: (prefixing F for field athletes or T for track athletes)

F or T 11-13 are Visually Impaired

F or T 20 are Learning Difficulty

F or T 31-38 are Cerebral Palsy

F or T 41- 46 Amputee and Les Autres

T 51- 54 Wheelchair track athletes

F51- 58 Wheelchair field athletes

 

Cycling:

Cycling is open to Amputee, Les Autres, Cerebral Palsy and Visually Impaired athletes who compete in individual road race and track events. 

 

Classification is split into divisions 2, 3 and 4 for athletes with Cerebral Palsy, athletes in division two being the most severely handicapped progressing to division 4 which includes physically more able athletes. 

 

Visually Impaired athletes compete together with no separate classification system. They ride in tandem with a sighted guide.

 

Amputee, Spinal Cord Injury and Les Autres competitors compete within the classification groupings:

LC1 - essentially for riders with upper limb disabilities

LC2 - essentially for riders with disabilities in one leg but who are able to pedal normally

LC3 - essentially for riders with a handicap in one lower limb who will usually pedal with one leg only

LC4 - for riders with disabilities affecting both legs.

 

 

Equestrian:

Equestrian is open to all disability groups, with riders divided into four grades.

 

Grade 1 incorporates severely disabled riders with Cerebral Palsy, Les Autres and Spinal Cord Injury

Grade 2 incorporates Cerebral Palsy, Les Autres, Spinal Cord injury and Amputee riders with reasonable balance and abdominal control.

Grade 3 incorporates Cerebral Palsy, Les Autres, Amputee, Spinal Cord Injury and totally Blind athletes with good balance, leg movement and co-ordination.

Grade 4 incorporates Cerebral Palsy, Les Autres, Amputee, Spinal Cord injury and Visually Impaired. This last group comprises ambulant athletes with either impaired vision or impaired arm/leg function.

 

 

Goalball:

Goalball is open to visually impaired athletes who must wear "black out" masks to ensure all participants can compete equally, therefore eliminating the need for classification.

 

 

Judo:

Judo is open to visually impaired athletes.  There is no classification as such, participants being divided into weight categories in the same way as able-bodied judo athletes.

 

Powerlifting:

Powerlifting is open to athletes with a physical disability.

 

Classification is by weight category as in able bodied powerlifting competition.

 

 

Sailing:

Sailing is open to Amputee, Cerebral Palsy, Visually Impaired, Wheelchair and Les Autres athletes.

 

Classification for the Sonar is based on a functional points system with low points for severely disabled athletes rising by scale to high points for less disabled athletes. Each crew of three is allowed a maximum of 12 points between them.

The singled handed 2.4m can be crewed regardless of points but the sailor must have at least a minimum level of disability which prevents them from competing on equal terms with able bodied sailors.

 

 

Swimming:

Classification is divided into three groups:

S1 to S10 are those with Physical Impairment. S1 will have the most severe impairment and an S10 a lesser impairment, for example a hand amputation.

S11 to S13 are those with a Visual Impairment. S11 will have little or no vision, S12 can recognise the shape of a hand and have some ability to see, S13 greater vision than the other two classes but less than 20 degrees of vision.

S14 is for athletes with a Learning Difficulty.

 

 

Monday, 30 November 2009 09:19

Les Autres is the fourth (alphabetically) of the six major disability categories at the Paralympic Games.

Les Autres is French for ‘the others’ and is a term used to describe athletes with a range of conditions which result in locomotive disorders that don’t fit into the traditional classification systems of the established disability groups.

Participants include those with dwarfism, multiple sclerosis or other disabilities.

 

In the Paralympics, Les Autres is abbreviated to ALA (standing for Amputee and Les Autres as the two disability categories compete in the same events).

The Paralympic sports participated in by Les Autres athletes are:

 

 

Archery:

Archery is open to athletes with a physical disability. 

 

Classification is broken up into three classes:

W1 -  Spinal Cord and Cerebral Palsy athletes with impairment in all four limbs

W2 -  Wheelchair users with full arm function

Standing -  Amputee, Les Autres and Cerebral Palsy standing athletes. Some athletes in the standing group will sit on a high stool for support but will still have their feet touching the ground.

 

Athletics:

Athletics is open to all disability groups and uses a functional classification system. 

 

A brief classification guide is as follows: (prefixing F for field athletes or T for track athletes)

F or T 11-13 are Visually Impaired

F or T 20 are Learning Difficulty

F or T 31-38 are Cerebral Palsy

F or T 41- 46 Amputee and Les Autres

T 51- 54 Wheelchair track athletes

F51- 58 Wheelchair field athletes

 

Cycling:

Cycling is open to Amputee, Les Autres, Cerebral Palsy and Visually Impaired athletes who compete in individual road race and track events. 

 

Classification is split into divisions 2, 3 and 4 for athletes with Cerebral Palsy, athletes in division two being the most severely handicapped progressing to division 4 which includes physically more able athletes. 

 

Visually Impaired athletes compete together with no separate classification system. They ride in tandem with a sighted guide.

 

Amputee, Spinal Cord Injury and Les Autres competitors compete within the classification groupings:

LC1 - essentially for riders with upper limb disabilities

LC2 - essentially for riders with disabilities in one leg but who are able to pedal normally

LC3 - essentially for riders with a handicap in one lower limb who will usually pedal with one leg only

LC4 - for riders with disabilities affecting both legs.

 

 

Equestrian:

Equestrian is open to all disability groups, with riders divided into four grades.

 

Grade 1 incorporates severely disabled riders with Cerebral Palsy, Les Autres and Spinal Cord Injury

Grade 2 incorporates Cerebral Palsy, Les Autres, Spinal Cord injury and Amputee riders with reasonable balance and abdominal control.

Grade 3 incorporates Cerebral Palsy, Les Autres, Amputee, Spinal Cord Injury and totally Blind athletes with good balance, leg movement and co-ordination.

Grade 4 incorporates Cerebral Palsy, Les Autres, Amputee, Spinal Cord injury and Visually Impaired. This last group comprises ambulant athletes with either impaired vision or impaired arm/leg function.

 

Powerlifting:

Powerlifting is open to athletes with a physical disability.

 

Classification is by weight category as in able bodied powerlifting competition.

 

 

Sailing:

Sailing is open to Amputee, Cerebral Palsy, Visually Impaired, Wheelchair and Les Autres athletes.

 

Classification for the Sonar is based on a functional points system with low points for severely disabled athletes rising by scale to high points for less disabled athletes. Each crew of three is allowed a maximum of 12 points between them.

The singled handed 2.4m can be crewed regardless of points but the sailor must have at least a minimum level of disability which prevents them from competing on equal terms with able bodied sailors.

 

 

Shooting:

Shooting is open to athletes with a physical disability.

 

There are only two classes of competition, Wheelchair and Standing.

 

 

Swimming:

Classification is divided into three groups:

S1 to S10 are those with Physical Impairment. S1 will have the most severe impairment and an S10 a lesser impairment, for example a hand amputation.

S11 to S13 are those with a Visual Impairment. S11 will have little or no vision, S12 can recognise the shape of a hand and have some ability to see, S13 greater vision than the other two classes but less than 20 degrees of vision.

S14 is for athletes with a Learning Difficulty.

 

Table Tennis:

Table tennis is open to athletes with a physical or Learning Difficulty spread over 11 classes.

Classes 1 to 5 encompass athletes competing from a Wheelchair with class 1 being the most severely disabled and class 5 the least disabled.

Classes 6 to 10 comprise ambulant athletes with class 6 the most severely disabled and class 10 the least.

Class 11 is for athletes with a Learning Difficulty.

 

Volleyball:

Volleyball is open to athletes with a physical disability and has both a sitting and standing event.

 

In sitting volleyball the court is smaller than standard and has a lower net.

Standing volleyball uses a full sized court and normal height net.

In the sitting games the only classification is the minimal disability ruling; athletes may compete if they have a disability that prevents them from competing on equal terms with able bodied athletes.

Monday, 30 November 2009 09:14

Intellectual Disability is the third (alphabetically) of the six major disability categories at the Paralympic Games.

A person with an intellectual disability must have substantial limitation in present functioning characterised by intellectual functioning (the American Association of Mental Retardation defines this as an IQ of 70 or below), limitations in two or more of the following adaptive skill areas: communication, self-care, home living, social skills, community use, self-direction, health and safety, functional academics, leisure and work and have acquired their condition before age 18.

Intellectual Disability athletes were banned from Paralympic competition after a cheating scandal at the Sydney 2000 Summer Paralympics, where a number of the members of Spain’s basketball team were discovered not to be suffering from an intellectual disability.

After 9 years of campaigning from various groups involved with parasport, the IPC voted to reinstate Intellectual Disability athletes into the Paralympic Games on 21 November 2009.

In the Paralympics, Intellectual Disability is abbreviated to ID.

Although the parasports that Intellectual Disability Athletes will compete in at the next Paralympic Games have not yet been confirmed, it is likely that they will be included in at least:

 

Athletics:

Athletics is open to all disability groups and uses a functional classification system. 

 

A brief classification guide is as follows: (prefixing F for field athletes or T for track athletes)

F or T 11-13 are Visually Impaired

F or T 20 are Learning Difficulty

F or T 31-38 are Cerebral Palsy

F or T 41- 46 Amputee and Les Autres

T 51- 54 Wheelchair track athletes

F51- 58 Wheelchair field athletes

 

Cycling:

Cycling is open to Amputee, Les Autres, Cerebral Palsy and Visually Impaired athletes who compete in individual road race and track events. 

 

Classification is split into divisions 2, 3 and 4 for athletes with Cerebral Palsy, athletes in division two being the most severely handicapped progressing to division 4 which includes physically more able athletes. 

 

Visually Impaired athletes compete together with no separate classification system. They ride in tandem with a sighted guide.

 

Amputee, Spinal Cord Injury and Les Autres competitors compete within the classification groupings:

LC1 - essentially for riders with upper limb disabilities

LC2 - essentially for riders with disabilities in one leg but who are able to pedal normally

LC3 - essentially for riders with a handicap in one lower limb who will usually pedal with one leg only

LC4 - for riders with disabilities affecting both legs.

 

 

Football:

Football is currently open to athletes with cerebral palsy and includes classes 5, 6, 7 and 8. All classes comprise ambulant athletes; class 5 being the least physically able, progressing through to class 8 who are minimally affected. Teams must include at least one athlete from either class 5 or 6.

 

 

Swimming:

Classification is divided into three groups:

S1 to S10 are those with Physical Impairment. S1 will have the most severe impairment and an S10 a lesser impairment, for example a hand amputation.

S11 to S13 are those with a Visual Impairment. S11 will have little or no vision, S12 can recognise the shape of a hand and have some ability to see, S13 greater vision than the other two classes but less than 20 degrees of vision.

S14 is for athletes with a Learning Difficulty.

 

Table Tennis:

Table tennis is open to athletes with a physical or Learning Difficulty spread over 11 classes.

Classes 1 to 5 encompass athletes competing from a Wheelchair with class 1 being the most severely disabled and class 5 the least disabled.

Classes 6 to 10 comprise ambulant athletes with class 6 the most severely disabled and class 10 the least.

Class 11 is for athletes with a Learning Difficulty.

 

Volleyball:

Volleyball is open to athletes with a physical disability and has both a sitting and standing event.

 

In sitting volleyball the court is smaller than standard and has a lower net.

Standing volleyball uses a full sized court and normal height net.

In the sitting games the only classification is the minimal disability ruling; athletes may compete if they have a disability that prevents them from competing on equal terms with able bodied athletes.