Ludwig Guttmann saw sports as a good outlet for rehabilitation. But just as important – if not more so – sports were fun and could be played with friends.
As Guttmann later wrote, sports were “the most natural form of remedial exercise.” They also “had a psychological impact of restoring pleasure in life and contributing to social reintegration.”
In 1948, Guttmann staged the first Stoke Mandeville Games for Paraplegics, where 14 men and two women competed in archery. Initially, the Games were reserved for athletes who used wheelchairs. Over the years, the program expanded to include new sports and athletes with different impairments.
The 1976 Paralympic Games – then called the Olympiad for the Physically Disabled – introduced sports for athletes with amputations and visual impairments. Four years later, athletes diagnosed with cerebral palsy were able to compete in the 1980 Games. In 1984, organizers added “Les Autres” competitions – French for “the others” – a category that included athletes with “locomotor disabilities” such as short stature, multiple sclerosis and limb length differences. Athletes with intellectual impairments – for those with documented IQs below 75 – first participated in the 1996 Paralympic Summer Games in Atlanta.
With the addition of different impairment types, parasport organizers began to devise ways to streamline competitions while preserving fairness.
There’s a panel that includes medical classifiers – typically a physical therapist, physician, physician’s assistant or occupational therapist. There are also technical classifiers who have expertise in the sport, and can include coaches, scientists or physical educators.
As Guttmann later wrote, sports were “the most natural form of remedial exercise.” They also “had a psychological impact of restoring pleasure in life and contributing to social reintegration.”
In 1948, Guttmann staged the first Stoke Mandeville Games for Paraplegics, where 14 men and two women competed in archery. Initially, the Games were reserved for athletes who used wheelchairs. Over the years, the program expanded to include new sports and athletes with different impairments.
The 1976 Paralympic Games – then called the Olympiad for the Physically Disabled – introduced sports for athletes with amputations and visual impairments. Four years later, athletes diagnosed with cerebral palsy were able to compete in the 1980 Games. In 1984, organizers added “Les Autres” competitions – French for “the others” – a category that included athletes with “locomotor disabilities” such as short stature, multiple sclerosis and limb length differences. Athletes with intellectual impairments – for those with documented IQs below 75 – first participated in the 1996 Paralympic Summer Games in Atlanta.
With the addition of different impairment types, parasport organizers began to devise ways to streamline competitions while preserving fairness.
A sheriff’s office statement and data from the state show that the North Carolina county that is home to Asheville overcounted deaths caused by Helene by as many as 30
A judge has appointed a mediator to try to negotiate an end to a long-running dispute over who gets licenses to grow and sell medical marijuana in Alabama
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva underwent new medical exams on Tuesday, which showed his condition is stable in comparison to previous assessments following a