CONTENTS

,~ Organizations promoting Disability Sports

,1 (Special Olympics; Paralympics;
Deaflympics)
• Concept of Classification and Divisioning in
' .S ports
• Concept of Inclusion in Sports, its need, &
Implementation
~~ Advantages of Physical Activities for children
with special needs.
• Strategies to make Physical Activities
assessable for children with special needs.
I NTRODUCTION
In 1980s, se 'differently abled' was
·rst prop _ . · s aJjl alternative to terms like
•-- ·af>~l~d', , ~c;:fiic~gped', etc. on the grounds
·ft' g~ve ,or,e} i~ositive message to the
. _ '(i:•and . . .__.. . JtJJaiscrimination.
fil¥ a_[ld ------~ are two separate
_ ~,- that... 1st . .
..0:f "aJJfferent types of
physical ~~d•1 me~n-~~1f~~ditions. ~isability,
[Link] ,t IS p_h:~ Sl~ll.Q~- mental, IS
--
permanent in naturte
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disorder can be
temporary or pe~ma •
Ada ptive or Disability sports
1£daptive or disability sports are the type of
.. ' competitive sports that are designed for
individuals with disabilities. These sports
a, s! i.g,h tly different than normal sports as
f her.e _may be some modifications in the
ruLle~_q r, im t ine equipment to meet the
s-p eci ~I [Link] cls of the participants. For
in1stan·.ce slecl hockey allows the use of
sf'l ds
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fP~
't ,. P-l'a~- 11_.4
ers to sit and play the game.

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SPECIAL OLYMPICS
• -1 Eunice Kennedy Shriver founded the Special
Olympics in 1968. The purpose of the Special
Olympics is to provide year-round sports training &
athletic competition in various Olympic-type sports
, 1 for youngsters and adults with intellectual
disabilities.
,. It provides opportunities for athletes to develop
r their physical fitness, experience the joy of

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sportsmanship, and participates in sharing gifts,
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skills, and friendships with their families,
community, and other Special Olympics athletes.

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[Link] - Washin ton DC.
Motto: "Let me win. But if I can't win, let me be brave
irn •the attempt."
B~ erning Body: Special Olympics International
SPECIAL OLYMPICS
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Th e logo of Special Olympics is based on the Sculpture 'Joy

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and Happiness to all Children of the World'.

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t-~if~
Special
Olympics

he torch that is carried out & lit at Special Olympic Games

e lled as the 'Flame of Hope'.
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SPECIAL OLYMPICS
Sports & Games in Special Olympics:
g1~ii'ng: Alpine and Cross-country ,Swimming: Pool &
DP. e_n Water, Gymnastics: Artistic and Rhythmic ,Speed
i kaf ing, Short Track, Handball, Netball, Equestrian,
~lffi letics (Track and Field), Softball, Judo, Figure Skating
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Ba arininton, Powerlifting, Floorball, Basketball.

PARALYMPICS
e, Paralympic Games or Paralympics is an
international multi-sport event for athletes with a
. range of disabilities.
• The event usually takes place every two years and
almost immediately after the Olympic Games.
• There are two versions of Paralympic games -
Winter and Summer Games. All Paralympic Games
are managed by the International Paralympic
Committee (IPC).
Athletes who participate have a range of disabilities
including impaired muscle power, hypertonia,
ataxia, vision impairment, intellectual impairment,
, etc
• • " Spirit i n M,o ti o:n " (2004) in Athens.
he Pr~~ious "Mind, tlod ; Sp irit," (1994).
overn1n Bod : · . • ., •. . •
PARALYMPICS
The th ree Ag itos encircling a central point symbolize motion,
emphasise the role of the Paralympic Movement in bringing athletes
together from all corners of the world to compete.

[Link].aly1
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mpics athletes compete in six different disability groups-
cereb ral palsy, amputee, visual impairment, intellectual disability,
spinal cord injuries, and" les autres" [athletes whose disability
does not fit into one of the other categories, like Dwarfism] .
Pa

Athletics, Archery, Badmi~ton, Boccia, Canoeing, Cycling, Equestri

F~ ball 5-a-side, Goalb_ali', ijowing, Shooting, Judo, Powerlifting,
Sitting Volleyball, Swimming.,
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Table
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Tennis, Triathlon, Taekwondo,
Wheelchair Basketball, 'eJlie~lchqir Fencing, Wheelchair Tennis, an
Whc~elchair Rugby. 1

1st Time: Rome,ltaly Summer (1960)

Recently, Beijing, China (2022)
DEAFLYMPICS
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,. Deaflympics is an international Olympic event at
which deaf athletes compete. Unlike other
paralympic events, deaf athletes cannot be guided
by sounds like referee whistle, gunshot etc.
Therefore, special arrangements are made for the
deaf athletes at Deaflympics such as waving a flag,
using light instead of gunshots etc.
,. The Deaflympics are more than just the world's
, second oldest multiple sports after olympics. These
• games are the world's fastest growing sports
,· ' events. The Deaflympics are an equivalent to the
~ Olympic [Link] for deaf athletes.

P~EiR LU DOS AEQtJALITAS" (Equality through sport) an d

ticking to the ideals of the Olympics
DEAFLYMPICS
I~'~-logo is inspired by the sign for Olympics. The circle in the
middle represents an eye because deaf people are very visual.
ffiffi~ ·f our colours of the logo i.e. red, green, yellow and blue
l'[Link] the four reg ional confederations of the International
e-ommittee of Sports for Deaf viz. Europe, Asia Pacific,
P.a1 n·~America and Africa. It ties together the strong elements, sign
I ra guage, deaf and international cultures, unity and continuity.
Deaf lympics
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ffi ffi~ main purpose of Deaflympics is to provide

01 Qportunities to person with hearing disability to
garrticipate in elite sports.
~eUgibility crit eria to compete at the 0 eaflympic
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mes the ath let es must have a hearing loss of

mirni1 mum 55 decibel in their better ea r. Hearing aid,
eo -Hllle,air implants etc. are not allowed to be used in
fie ciom pet ition.
mme· sports included in Summer Deaflympics are
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~ttil'leit ics, Badminton, Basketball, Beach Volleyball,

Bowli r.l g, Cycling Road, Football, Handball, Judo,
&m,o oti1n g, Karate, Orienteering, Swimming, Table Tennis
ele. J he sports that are included Winter Deaflympics ar
~pine skiing, Cross-country skiing, Curling, Ice Hockey,
an d Snowboard.
Divisionin in Sports
• The concept of Classification and Divisioning is a
process used in disability sports for providing even
and fair competition for athletes with disability
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through grouping of athletes.

• The purpose is very much similar to grouping
system used in mainstream sports according to
their age-group, gender, weight etc.
Class ification process adopted by Paralympics
signs catego ri es to ath letes based on different
,es of d isab ilit ie~, on the other hand divis ioning
ocess of Spec;ial Ofymp ics is a performance base
- stem of grouping ath letes bases on their shill
leve l.
Classification in Paralympic
e: Paralympic Games, IPC has developed classification
process which can contribute "to sporting excellence
for all Athletes and sports in the Paralympic Movement,
and providing equitable competition.
• Classification is undertaken to ensure that an Athlete's
, impairment is relevant to sport performance, & to
ensure that the Athlete competes equitably with other
Athletes" with fair chance to all participant athletes
engaging in competitive sports.
• J According to the IPC, the classification process serves
2 roles. The lst is to determine who is eligible & the
second is to group sportspeople for the purpose of
, competition.
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• The eligibility minimum is an impairment that limits the
sports persons ability to participate in an activity & the
disability needs to be permanent in nature.
Classification Process
• The 1st step is generally a medical
assessment.
• The 2nd is generally a functional
assessment which involves two parts: first
observing a sportsperson in training and
then observing the sportsperson in
com petition.
I • There are a number of people involved in
this process beyond the sportsperson,
including individual classifiers, medical
classifiers, technical classifiers, a chief
classifier, a head of classification, a
classificationi panel and a classification
committee.
Eli ible impairments
• Impaired muscle power
• Impaired passive range of
movement
• Loss of limb or limb deficiency
• Leg-length difference
• Short stature
• Hypertonia
• Ataxia
• Athcetosis>
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Classification in Special Olympic
• Special Olympics uses a competitive-level matching or
grouping referred to as 'divisioning', which is a
fundamental rule at Special Olympics.
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Athletes in competitions are matched with others of the
same gender. about the same age and most
importantly, of about the same competitive ability.
• The fundamental difference between Special Olympics
competitions and those of other sports organizations is
that athletes of all ability levels are encouraged to
participate, and every athlete is recognized for his/her
performance.
• \ Competitions are [Link] so that athletes compete
with_oth er athl_et_es of s1m
. ii_ar a_ . equ1.•;t abl
1_y 1n
[Link] __e
divisions
Process of Divisionin

Team Sports I 1ndlvldual Sports

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15 & under 8-11 years
16-21 years 112 - 15 years
22 and above 16-21 years
22-29 years
1 30 and above

2. Gender: In the second step, athletes are grouped as per gender, in some
circumstances gender can be combined too.
3. Ab1ltty : Finally athlet~ in Special Olympics are grouped according to their
skill abilities scores which are recorded by committee through preliminary and
on-site events.
Concept of Inclusion
:• Inclusion is an educational practice where every
person can participate equally in all social
, \ processes. It is an approach to educating students
with special educational needs.
In this inclusion approach, students with special
needs are fully integrated into the general
education classrooms at a school.
• ·. The ideology of Inclusion philosophy is, that every
· individual, regardless of his/her disabilities, has
the right to be incorporated fully into society. Fully
inclusive schools don't separate general and
s.p ecial education, where all students learn
together.
Implementation of Inclusive educatio
Teaching must be planned with all students in mind as
per their abilities.
• Teaching lessons must encourage the participation of
all students.
• Ensure that every student is actively involved
• Students are encouraged to support each other in
learning
• rProper support is provided in case students
experience difficulties.
Students should feel that they have somebody to
• speak to when they are worried
• ' All students are equally valued.
• ,,/ Teachers and students treat each other with respect.
• The school must be accessible to all students.
• Teachers should make sure that all students
participate and learn.
The school should monitor the participation, and
achievement of all students.
Strateg ies to make Physical
Activities assessable for CWSN
~~~~~•~If iwe ·want ·to make physical activities
accessibie forchtidren with:special needs (CWSN), we need to
[Link] the ty,ge ofdisaoilities of children. For this purpose, a
comP,_!£te m·edic_al: check-up of [Link] is required. It is
essential because~(. wiJhout a complete medical check-up, the
gfi~sical educa,tionte_ achers will have difficulty knowing about the
t e of disabilit tthe child is facing.
liMAii ~~~ • ._.
• ~•:Jlil ,ll t refers to making equipment, devices, or

too ls ·~ f h~IJ~J:these·children to participate in learning activities

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Ii Ke t5alls wi_th~bells, bigger

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balls., _b~lls :~ttached to strings, to bring
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Uiem IJac~ to the students, etc. If traditional schools develop

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acf,[Link].~ .i_ hf~astruc_tu.re_t.o [Link] the. [Link] of children with

[Link] needs,then ,parents . can get their clJildren admitted to any
school:
Creat in a Spec ific Environment: This means creating a friendly ►
enviroriment by·keepin-g•in-mfn;d. fh_ e specJfic requirements of ►
disabled children. It shows that ,they are also required in society, ►
hildren their age, they can play. Students with
and lilke other,c_
speciaf,needs can .be provided with sp.e cific play areas with special
requirements as need~d t:,y ·them. For example, these children
often cannot tolerate loud mus·ic and glaring lights, so a lot of
natural Ii htin should be there
Strategies to make Physical
Activities assessable for CWSN
~~. . . . .Physical activities must be
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'oase'd ,on the interests, aptitudes, abilities, previous

[Link], and limitations of children with special needs.
ModiJt~ation
a. . . .
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of Rules: Rules can be modified according to
lt:ie n~ ds of t~e children. They can be provided extra time or
atfenJQt to perform physical activity. They can also be given
SRare•!,ti_m e to rest before doing the following physical
act,1vit""·.

, , For mak.i ng physical activities more

acce·s·s1bl~ ·f or children with special needs, the concerned
eacfier of physical education should have an understanding
._qna knowledge of children's previous experience with ►
ph ·~1c~I activities. ►
~............:!:::rhe size, weight, shape, and colour ►
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ofi tf:ie) playing equipment also have to be customized.
llillillliFI•
w.;,.¥ is_~_if~ly handicapped children need brightly coloured
~.quipment, while those with weak muscles need lighter
design of equipment.
dvantages of Physical activities for
CWSN :

Red Phy$ical activities may

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lraelP. rteduce, q~p_rtessJon in children with disabilities. It

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a,lso r:educe_s\ttreirr:~nxiety and stress levels

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• ~~ • :Physic-al activities provide

t ffiilar:era w·[email protected];,1e~opp9._rlu_nities for soc'ial ,interaction.
CJ?1_l1:~ l•a.tio_ns.,
ffi ffi,ein SO_ 1

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~llrir,g ir,volyernent in
tffies~i9:ci1"1i.f i_es. Qiffer~nl:types of sports activities lead
o in1t i~a:sed:so<ip_
- __ _____ _ l_:: J1i't~gtation,-friendship, and bonding
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• ·~PhysJcal activities lead to

41coro'fflvef_!-kills SU~tta~-~ thinki'ng,1reasoning, and
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r~memberihg~ I~ enables:them fo discover and access

si ~~ ths th_at~af'llilof betba11Jriged in ,the classroom
setting.
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Advantages of Physical activities for
CWSN :
Fun 1:[Link]·.ca_ l attivities lead to mood benefits.
Phys:ica_
iliffieMe,njoy [Link]•t lnte:r1action with both the fitness staff
ama 9..the_r pc1rt_icip,a_ots.
Increased fitn ess & Strength 1 evels: Children improve
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l fieir muscl,e, strength,,,· c<>ordination, alild flexibility

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tti riotJglJ· re.g.\l_

l~J pJ:}y_$lcal activities. It also enhances
Better. [Link]. .skills, balance, and body awareness.
Improve health quality: [Link] have positive health

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nd raise t_heir self-esteem.
rad ,guallty of Uf~ .c-h_.anges a_
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ifi tiie~ get a feeling of;accomplishment and possibly the ►

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taste of pers~nal .[Link] .. It will also increase their

•apQetite and enhance tt;ie quality of sleep.
• Decreases other health issues: Regular physical
activj,l'ies [Link] secondary hecalth com·plications like
obesity, high blood [Link], low HDL cholesterol, and