Disability Sport Introduction

1
Disability Sport Introduction

• Neil Ross

2
Introductions

• Ground Rules
• About me
• About you
• Favourite film?

3
What is Disability?

• Models
• What is a model?
• The earth is flat!
• Medical Social Models

4
Medical Social Models

• Medical Model
• A person is disabled because they use a
  wheelchair and cannot climb a flight of steps
  into a building.

• Social Model
• A person is disabled because they use a
  wheelchair and a ramp is not provided to access
  the building.

5
Barriers to Participation

• National statistics - lowest participation rates
  for disabled people
• Taking Part Active People surveys
• 8.8 9.5 disabled adults in regular
  moderate activity (pop. average 21)
• (Sport England, 2006 DCMS, 2007)
• 44 of disabled young people not regularly
  physically active (12 non-disabled)
• (Sport England, 2001)

6
Barriers to Participation

• Key barriers to participation identified by
  disabled people themselves
• Adults - Health Problems (74), Lack of money
  (5), Lack of time (5) (Sport England, 2002)
• Young People Disability/Health (58), Lack of
  disabled sports facilities (18), Lack of
  adults time/supervision (14)
• (Sport England, 2001)

7
Terminology

• Group exercise
• Avoid old fashioned references
• Dont get hung up on being politically correct
• No-one gets it right all the time

8
Stereotypes Assumptions

• Myths and fears promoted by media industries
• Attitudes of local and national media
• Ask the right questions AND listen to the answers!

9
Benefits of Sport Exercise

• Inclusive Fitness Initiative

10
Disability Sport

• History/Overview
• Disability sport as we know it credited to Sir
  Ludwig Guttmann who started sport as a rehab
  venture at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, post WWII.
• First international games held in 1948
• First official Paralympics in 1952
• First Paralympics held in same city as Olympics
  in 1988
• Most sports now compete at national and
  international level, some in direct involvement
  with non-disabled counterpart organisations.

11
Introduction to Classification

• Classification is not exclusive to disabled sport
• Examples Judo weight classes, Fencing male,
  female, junior, veterans, Swimming by
  discipline.
• Its aim in disability sport is to achieve fair
  and equitable competition.

12
Classification cont

• There are two main forms of classification in
  disabled sport
• Medical
• Functional
• Recent developments include implementing points
  systems to increase participation in individual
  events and make them more spectator friendly

13
Classification cont

• Minimal Disability
• Is an entry level which describes the minimal
  level of disability/injury to allow eligibility
  to participate in disability sport.

14
Classification cont

• Factors determining classification
• 1. Trunk function
• 2. Lower limb function
• 3. Upper limb function
• 4. Hand function

15
Classification cont

• Volume of action- example w/c basketball
• Vertical plane rotating trunk to left or right
  whilst maintaining an upright position
• Forward plane bending trunk forwards reaching
  hands towards the feet returning to upright
  position
• Sideways plane leaning trunk to left or right
  without movement in forward plane returning to
  upright position

16
Classification cont

• Minimal disability definition (example)
• Usually must meet the following criteria
• A) a wheelchair basketball player is unable to
  run, pivot or jump at speed and with the control
  of an able-bodied player
• B) a wheelchair basketball player has a permanent
  physical disability in the lower limb/s which can
  be objectively verified by an acknowledged
  medical and/or paramedical investigation such as
  measurement, x-ray, CT scan, MRI scan, etc
• N.b degrees of pain are not considered as
  measurable and permanent disabilities.

17
Classification cont

• Wheelchair Basketball Points system
• Each player is awarded a point value based on
  classification from 1pt to 4.5pts with .5pt
  increments between each class
• Functional classification is polarised to achieve
  final classification
• Review process followed/appeal

18
Classification cont

• IPC recognises 6 different disability groups
• 1. amputees
• 2. athletes with Cerebral Palsy (CP)
• 3. blind or visually impaired athletes
• 4. spinal cord injured athletes
• 5. athletes with an intellectual/learning
  disability
• 6. other athletes (les autres) with a physical
  disability who do not fit into the above 5
  categories.

19
Ethical Issues

• Minimal disability? Where do you draw the line?
• Non disabled competitors in disability sport?
  Inclusion/reverse discrimination?
• Cheating?
• Substance use/Boosting
• Do we really need classification?

20
Summary QA

• Medical social models
• Barriers to participation
• Terminology
• Stereotypes
• Disability sport history, classification,
  ethics
• Any questions?