Discussing Disabilities

How the Paralympics Came To Be The Paralympics started out as a new rehabilitation approach for patients with spinal injuries created by Ludwig Guttmann. The use of sports aided in physical and mental activity for paralyzed or amputee patients. At Stoke Mandeville Hospital, there was an archery competition between disabled veterans. Soon, more countries began participating in the games at Stoke, and more sports were adapted to be accessible to people with a variety of disabilities. Now, the Paralympics is now the third largest sporting event in the world. Disability sports turned from a rehabilitation method for injured veterans to competitive sports for all people with different disabilities. What Does “Para” Mean? Prior to this class, I did not know what the “para” in “Paralympics” meant. During the first week of class, I became curious about it, so I looked it up. I first found that it was a mash of the two words “paraplegic” and “Olympics.” I thought it made sense since many of the...

My Personal Experience: Family & The Media Prior to beginning this class, I never took the time to think about my experience with disabilities because I don't and have never encountered them in my daily life. Two of my family members, both in their late 60s, have disabilities. However, since we live almost two hours away, I do not get to experience their daily life often. The only time I ever experienced it was when I went to the store with one of them and they parked in the handicapped space, as their disability affects how they walk.  Most of my personal experience with disabilities has come from the media, a place where facts get twisted quite a lot. However, on tiktok, I follow many creators with disabilities, some of whose content is based on their disability and others whose content is not based on their disability. Each person has different views and opinions on their disability, how they perceive them, and how they want others to perceive them. One of the most important...