The “Para” in “Paralympics”

-




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 first patients Ludwig treated were either paralyzed in their legs or had one or both legs amputated.


However, the more I researched, I found that it actually comes from “parallel.” Ludwig Guttmann purposefully planned for the Stoke Mandeville Games to be held at the same time as the Olympics. Guttmann's planning was intentional, as he wanted to draw as much positive attention as he could to his patients. It was important for the world to look at disabilities differently than they had in the past.


Parallel Games

Like the ABC news article said, the Stoke games were played “in parallel” with the Olympics. I think that Guttmann’s decision to have the games at the same time as the Olympics was powerful. People with disabilities were looked at as hopeless. Those who had amputated limbs or were paralyzed had a smaller life expectancy. Prior to Guttmann’s new rehabilitation approach, doctors and nurses tried to make those with disabilities as comfortable as they possibly could until they passed. Guttmann knew that life could become accessible so people with disabilities could live longer lives while still doing the things they loved. Having the Stoke games at the same time as the Olympics was a big deal as Guttmann was trying to show that those with disabilities are capable of being athletes. His games garnered attention from all over the world, which allowed the concept to spread to other countries. 


The Paralympics today have an agreement with the Olympics which requires the host city of the Olympics to also host the Paralympics. Now, the Paralympics always take place the same year and in the same place as the Olympics. This was not the way it always was, but having the agreement is a big deal for the Paralympics. The work of Ludwig Guttmann and athletes with disabilities all around the world allowed for the Paralympics to become what it is today. It showed that disabilities do not stop someone from becoming a successful athlete and that there is no place for discrimination in sports.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Future

-
Image
Learn, Adapt  When choosing the GedEd courses I have taken throughout my college experience, I was very deliberate. I wanted to take classes that would teach me important things about life and classes that would open my mind to different perspectives, people, and lives. I've taken classes about the Black Power Movement, Latin America, and the Holocaust. When I saw this class, I knew I wanted to take it.  In the beginning of the semester, I did not know much about disabilities in general, much less disabled sports.  I had only ever briefly heard of the Paralympics and the Special Olympics, but everything else was very new to me.  I liked learning things in this class from people who are disabled themselves. Many of the videos were from speakers who are disabled or that feature para-athletes. I think it is really important that they have platforms that allow their voice to be heard. While it is very important for there to be allies supporting and raising the voice...
Read more

Envision Blind Sports

-
Image
 Along with the Paralympics and Special Olympics, there is also the Deaflympics for athletes with hearing impairments, and most visual impairment sports are in the Paralympics. The  ISBA  represents athletes with visual impairments and has rules regarding classification. These opportunities are not for everyone with impairments, and m any athletes with impairments face the issue of not being able to join their local or school sports teams due to the lack of accommodations that are provided. There are many nonprofits and other organizations that are designed for athletes with impairments. These organizations provide athletes with safe and accessible sporting events. Envision Blind Sports is one of these organizations.  Envision Blind Sports Envision Blind Sports is a nonprofit organization in Mercer, Pennsylvania. They have four partners which are Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, Dick's Sporting Goods, Lions of Pennsylvania Foundation, and Lions International. The or...
Read more

Disabilities in the Media

-
Image
(Channel 4 Tokyo 2020 Paralympics campaign)      Media portrayal of disabilities has traditionally been very negative and has created harmful stereotypes about people with disabilities. From TV shows and movies to newscasts and articles, the same few tropes and narratives have been used, which have enforced negative stigmas towards disabilities. Because of this portrayal and the fact that people with disabilities have always been looked down upon, media coverage of the Paralympics is not what it should be for how common disabilities are in the world today. There have   been many different ideas on how to increase and change media coverage of disabled sports and portrayal of disabilities, but there is still a lot that needs to change.    Portrayal of Disabilities in the Media      While media portrayal of disabilities is beginning to become normalized, showing them more accurately, it began with them being shown in a very negative light and is...
Read more