AIBU to ask about the paraolympics?

[BlueBirdsNest]

Do people with the same disabilities compete with each other?

I've just the shooting, swimming and the equestrian event and it seems .........in my opinion....that the events are segregated and only people with the same disability compete in the events?

There are events where the level of disability doesn't have to be identical, but a level playing field is created so all participants can compete equally. Examples of this are sitting volleyball, where some participants can walk fine with prosthetics, but everyone sits, anyhow and blind football, where players are blindfolded.

There are events, now, where the type of disability is completely different, though. It wouldn't be fair to pit someone with an amputation, vs a blind athlete, vs one with autism or down's syndrome in the 1500m, for example.

Oh dear I should have read the whole thread.

OP are you being deliberately dense? The special olympics has NOTHING TO DO with the Paralympics.

The paralympics is for physical disabilities, the special olympics is for learning disabilities.

The special olympics was actually suspended for a while because there was no sure way to measure the competitors' mental capacity. I think its back on again for the first time this year.

The classifications focus on the abilities of each athlete rather than their disabilities, hence athletes with completely different disabilities can compete together.

No cakebump I'm not being deliberately dense..

So the guy with downs syndrome who won the gold in the swimming earlier was in the wrong 'games'? Should he have been in the Special Olympics and not in the paralympics?

The phrase 'Special' Olympics is extremely offensive and is one I hope disappears

Bluebirdsnest - pull your skirt down. Your ignorance is showing.

Special Olympics isn't an event. It's an organisation which brings sport to young people with special needs. The paralympics has never been the special olympics and is only hosting events for participants with learning difficulties for the first time, this year - and these are specifically events where strategy is needed, such as distance running.

op you do realise that people with DS or CP are not all the same don't you?
it is a very wide spectrum

And why is "Special" olympics offensive, BBN?

I ask this as the mother of 2 boys with special needs.

BBC radio 5 live has live broadcast rights. Locog sells the rights to this event not the IOC as they have nothing to do with these games. Channel 4 would have bid the most. Most counties only bought small highlights packages. eg.NBC who pays the lions share of the IOC television rights packages only planned for four 90 minutes highlights programs of the paralympics. NBC can't even recoup cost out of the Olympics so would have lose a fortune on live paralimpic coverage.

I also recognise I'm a bit daft and ill informed .......so am reading all the links sent .

Thank you , to those who sent them

because I myself have a disability .....and I'm finding a lot of patronizing

I have a disability why do you find it patronising I did find the opening ceramony really cringey, but i enjoy the sports what do you find patronising,

Why can't you just watch it and enjoy it.... Why are you looking for faults and inequality.

We have a Gold!

Wasn't the Soecial Olympics established by one of the Kennedy's, in memory of their poor sister who was lobotomised?

I think those with what's defined as an "intellectual impairment" were excluded from the Paralympics after the Sydney games as 10 out of 12 of the Spanish Basketball squad were revealed to be imposters. I guess they're reinstated the category this year because they are confident of their ability to assess people more efficiently.

ouryve - It's actually not the first time those with learning difficulties have competed in the Paralympics. They did previously but at Sydney a basketball team 'faked' disability and the category was dropped because of verification issues. This is the first time it has come back.

Sorry, cross post with Headfairy

kayano, I think I have a bit of an Internet crush on you, your posts always make me laugh!

Op I don't really see what is offensive about the special olympics, both my son and step daughter have special needs but I see nothing wrong with it. I'll ask my son when he's older though what he thinks about it.

If you saw me you would have a real life crush. Bet you £10

The winner of the 400m heat very publicly swapped name vests with Pistorius in what he described as a deliberate endorsement and support of Pistorius's right to compete in said race.

I know the two events have their own histories- but combining certain events does not necessarily negate those histories. Rather it is a continuation of disability rights. Because let's face it, one reason for the creation of the Paralympics was because there was no other provision for their athletes, was there?

The Special Olympics is a very different thing to the Paralympics, if you go to the website, it is much more about getting people with learning difficulties involved in sport and competing. But it doesn't do a once every four years get everyone in the world competing against each other.
I don't have any problems with the word Special, after all isn't everyone special?

We use the term "special needs" as standard, so I don't see why Special Olympics is any different.

Some exceptional Paralympians are also hugely successful in their sport in general, like the truly inspirational Lee Pearson who in addition to having numerous Paralympic medals in dressage has also won British Dressage National Championship titles against able-bodied athletes.

Full details on his website:
www.leepearson.co.uk/resultsablebodied.html

Lee Pearson is an absolute inspiration. He's in the lead after today's Team session too

i heart lee pearson he is just fantastic

Trying to watch the judo but weird clock thing on screen