Posts

Reflecting Back on The Course

Image
Reflecting Back   Reflecting back on the first day of this class, I can now see how much knowledge I lacked about disabled sports. Given that I want to be an occupational therapist working with kids with disabilities, this is a very important aspect in that field. The main topics I have learned throughout the course included the meaning behind the Paralympics , how the media affects the disabled population, the rules and fairness in disabled sports, the special Olympics , and I even got to explore sports events near me for the visually impaired. This course has definitely changed my mindset towards the value of sports for individuals with a disability. I have also gained much knowledge that emphasizes the significance of disabled sports in advancing inclusivity and equality for individuals with disabilities. With disabled sports, it is important to provide inclusivity to provide a sense of being to these athletes. Although we want everyone to be included, there are also certain rules t
Post a Comment
Read more

Blind Athletes Inc.

Image
Blind Athletes Inc. A local sport club for athletes with hearing or visual impairments is the Blind Athletes Inc. Located in central New Jersey, Blind Athletes Inc. is a nonprofit organization and sports team dedicated to providing athletes with vision impairments with transformative opportunities and supporting their pursuit of excellence. They are devoted to encouraging fitness, friendship, and fun for athletes of all abilities through adaptive sports.  Goalball, tandem cycling, running, swimming, and other sports and recreational pursuits are all available through the organization. These programs are made to meet the special requirements of athletes with vision impairments, giving them the assistance and tools they need to take part completely and securely. The organization offers athletes with visual impairments the chance to thrive in sports, enhance their physical and emotional well-being, and develop social connections through its inclusive and accessible programs.  What is it?
Post a Comment
Read more

The Special Olympics

Image
Special Olympics vs Paralympics The Special Olympics and the Paralympics are two separate events as of right now. Before reading the articles this week I was unaware that these two were different. Special Olympics is more for athletes of all skill levels with an intellectual disability, cognitive delay, or developmental disability. While the Paralympics is for athletes from 10 categories of physical impairment. Some might argue that people with intellectual disabilities should be permitted to participate in Paralympic events, however I believe the Special Olympics should be kept separate for several purposes. I think having them separate allows for more room with rules and regulations and allows for every athlete to shine in their own way. There were several cheating scandals when they did allow intellectual impairment in Paralympic events, which goes to show even more why these two need to be separated. "Keeping Them Separate" As mentioned before, athletes with intellectual
Post a Comment
Read more

Russia and Belarus Controversy

Image
"IPC Values" When reading these articles I was very shocked about what was happening. When thinking about the Russian invasion on Ukraine and Belarus's assistance with the war, I did not think that this could affect their participation in sports such as the Paralympic Games. After reading the reasons as to why the IPC chose to ban Russia and Belarus from future Paralympic Games, I think it was the most reasonable thing to do in alignment with the IPC values. The governments of Russia and Belarus violated the Olympic Truce, which had a severe effect on the Paralympic Games and the larger Paralympic Movement. The IPC's key values, which include a dedication to political neutrality and impartiality and a belief in the transformative potential of sport, served as the Board's direction in determining what course of action to follow. I think this was the right decision because it aligned with their values. It is a harsh punishment, but it is one that was necessary to re
Post a Comment
Read more

The "Fair" Paralympics

Image
"Classification" Sports classification can be a very difficult aspect. After reading the professor's remarks and the articles on the subject, it is clear that classification can easily lead to issues, particularly if a player is ineligible because of a disability or if they perform below their capabilities to be placed in a lower category to win. With classification, a player's confidence may be damaged if they are unable to participate in the game again. Some people, especially those who are disabled, already believe that their disability makes them less than perfect. If they are then excluded from playing a sport this can upset them even more. The world encourages treating everyone fairly and including everyone, but then we see the Paralympics exclude some individuals. I believe that including everyone with disabilities in the Paralympics is a good idea and that all athletes with any kind of disability should be included in any sport because of this. Those who are d
Post a Comment
Read more

Technology in Paralympics

Image
  Adaptive Technology Adaptive technology can be very controversial in sports. Some think that this technology is cheating or that it will take away from talent and make it easier for anyone to win or do the sport. I agree with this statement to some extent but also disagree. We live in a world now where technology is used in everything we do. Not only that, but we see more and more advances in technology every year. So it is expected that someday adaptive technology is going to be used by everyone in sports. That is why I think there is no argument whether it should be allowed or not because I believe it will be either way. I disagree that this technology will make it easier for the athletes or make it easier for anyone to compete. If all athletes have the same access to technology, then the competition will still be fair. However, different skills might have to come into play which in turn might actually make it harder for some athletes and take away from their actual talent. This is
Post a Comment
Read more

The Disabled Population and The Media

Image
  Media Coverage  The media is a big place and a very influential area. There are so many things that the media has exaggerated or falsely represented. People with disabilities are one of those. Like with other minorities, stereotypes about individuals with disabilities have been pushed and reinforced in the media. There are not enough persons with disabilities in the media, despite the fact that they are frequently misrepresented. This is a pressing global issue, particularly given that one in four Americans suffer from a disability. Considering those statistics, you may assume that disabled people are represented in the media more, however just 3.1% of characters on film are disabled (Tehranian, 2022) . A lack of understanding of people with disabilities may result from this lack of exposure, particularly with kids. We need to give the Paralympics and other sports for people with disabilities more media attention in order to solve this. This can be accomplished by featuring people wi
Post a Comment
Read more