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Question 15: Is disabled sport elite?
The words "disabled", "elite" and "sport" are all socially constructed concepts
or labels and their meaning can be interpreted differently by different people
depending upon their historical and cultural background.
Due to the social construction of the term "elite" a major problem
facing athletes with a disability is the quantitative nature of performance
measurement prevalent in today's society, which means that an athlete
with a disability may perform with a great deal of excellence in physiological
terms, perhaps even surpassing the performances of their able-bodied peers.
However, their performance may be viewed as less worthy of public
acclamation.
If we were able to revise our conception of "elite sport" to include all
those athletes (able-bodied or disabled) who perform to the maximum of
their physical capabilities, regardless of physical attributes, then perhaps we could
rid ourselves of the term "disabled" and remove the need to pass judgement
or make comparisons on weather these athletes should be considered as elite
athletes.
The majority felt that disabled sport belongs to the world of elite sport
competition, since the results and performances obtained by the Paralympic
athletes are tremendously high compared to those reached by others under
the same conditions. Athletes are required to train many hours just like their
able-bodied counterparts in the Olympic Games. Even when it seems to be more
difficult to win in the Olympic events, it is a fact that the disabled athletes have to
overcome much bigger obstacles than their able-bodied counterparts. In this
sense, the Paralympic Games are a good event to encourage participation and to
show the abilities of disabled athletes.
However, a minority did not feel that disable sport could generally be seen
as elite unless it was discussed in relation to those involved solely within the
disability sport movement. It was not felt that a comparison between able-bodied
elite and disabled body sport was appropriate.
The IPC should work on education at all levels, thus increasing awareness of
disabled sport and its participants, because among other reasons, some countries
do not provide financial support for participation in the Paralympics.
Question 16: Is Paralympic sport for all countries?
Equality of opportunity for humanity reinforces the message that disabled
people have exactly the same right to participate in sport as an able bodied
person. It is agreed that there is the possibility for the Paralympics to have
representatives from all countries. However, financial difficulties appear as
an obstacle for many countries (especially the developing countries), mainly
because the cost of equipment is a large burden. The will and determination
of the athletes is absolutely necessary but so is the equipment.
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