Celebrating difference
The #WeThe15 campaign aims to use sport to help break down barriers and end discrimination against the 15% of the world’s population that experiences disability. But some researchers argue that the campaign overlooks the exclusionary nature of certain events, such as the Paralympic Games (in which only certain bodies with disabilities are eligible to compete)….
Push and pull: Paralympian Brianna Hennessy is stronger for her multi-sport participation
This blog is a part of a series created in collaboration with the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the Paralympic Athlete Transfer Task Force, spotlighting the opportunities and challenges of Para athlete transfer and multi-sport participation. “Para sport, for me, it’s my purpose. It’s the only time I feel alive,” says Brianna Hennessy, Tokyo Paralympian. Hennessy was struck by a…
Collaborative coaching is key to successful Para athlete transfer
This blog is a part of a series created in collaboration with the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the Paralympic Athlete Transfer Task Force, spotlighting the opportunities and challenges of Para athlete transfer and multi-sport participation. When COVID-19 hit, like the rest of us, Alexandre Hayward was stuck at home. Hayward, a member of the Canadian Junior National Wheelchair Basketball…
Changing the rules
A high incidence of injury rates observed during Para alpine events at the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympic Games led to a close collaboration between sport technical officials, host officials and the IPC Medical Committee. That collaboration led to rule changes, such as racing earlier in the day when snow conditions were better, which greatly reduced…
Special Olympics and community inclusion
People with intellectual disabilities often feel excluded from their communities. Sport participation is one way to promote social inclusion. A transnational study suggests that Special Olympics athletes who feel more included in sport are also more likely to feel included within their local communities.
How “athlete transfer” is opening new avenues for development in Para sport
This blog is a part of a series created in collaboration with the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the Paralympic Athlete Transfer Task Force, spotlighting the opportunities and challenges of Para athlete transfer and multi-sport participation. When Richard Peter retired from wheelchair basketball following a gold-medal performance at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, the then-40-year-old didn’t think a second career…
Para sport pathways
Researchers at Western University are partnering with the Commonwealth Games Federation to identify the factors that drive inclusion in Para sport and to develop a high performance pathway for Para athletes in the Commonwealth region of the Caribbean and the Americas. Preliminary findings show that access to athlete classification is a current limitation to both…
Enhancing sport and physical activity participation for Canadians with disabilities
Highlights When Jenny Davey first started working at the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) in 2014, she had no idea how much a fledgling research partnership would shape the work she does in the Paralympic sport system 8 years later. “I never would have thought, ‘well, 8 years from now, I’m going to be able to…
Baseline testing for Para athletes
Baseline testing can help to identify when an athlete is ready to return to play following a concussion. However, it’s important that healthcare providers to be aware of the symptoms and signs that can exist in a Para athlete’s non-concussed state. For example, athletes with cognitive impairment may have difficulties with memory and concentration, and…
Powerchair sports
Powerchair sports are played by people with disabilities who use power wheelchairs. Powerchairs make sport accessible to athletes with a range of disabilities and eliminate performance differences usually associated with gender and age. Because of this, powerchair sports are considered some of the most inclusive sports: athletes of diverse abilities, ages and genders compete together on…