Disabled people and wheelchair sports: how their wheelchair hasn’t stopped them from playing cricket/basketball/tennis
First of all, wheelchair sports have initially been invented to raise awareness. This is over the campaign that disabled people have a right to play sports and participate in competitions.
Today wheelchair sports are quite famous, and people who are physically disabled can participate.
Most of the sports are derived from the original sports and have some modifications in the rules and regulations for accommodating wheelchair players. There are various types of wheelchair sports; racing, tennis, basketball, badminton, bowling, table tennis, hockey, football, and baseball.
Furthermore, they can either be played in manual wheelchairs or electric wheelchairs.
Typically, sports that require electric wheelchairs use the term before the name. This would classify the sport.
Wheelchair Baseball
Furthermore, wheelchairs that are used for sports are a bit different from regular ones. They are specially designed to have higher speeds and easy maneuvering.
In addition, the wheels have slightly slanted angles for added stability, and the frame is sturdy to sustain rough activities during sports.
Wheelchair Basketball
Furthermore, wheelchair basketball initially started around 1945 as a form of rehabilitation during World War II for service members in the US.
In addition, during that time, Sir Ludwig Guttmann created a similar sport called wheelchair netball at the Spinal Rehabilitation Hospital in Stoke Mandeville, Great Britain.
However, its popularity grew, and it is not amongst the most popular wheelchair sports.
The upper body and coordination must be aligned to their wheelchair as if it was an extension of their body.
The amount of dedication is high. Many have to train long and hard. To do this many long hour will be spent adjusting the wheelchair. The person must give their tech team feedback. This causing real time improvements when needed.
Furthermore, the game requires teamwork, strategy, and skilled wheelchair-handling maneuvers for both manual wheelchair and power wheelchair users.
Wheelchair Cycling
Cycling is now possible for people with disabilities due to the inventions of manual bicycles or hand bikes. It like bikes but for handicap people. They are in essence race bikes.
These hand bikes or bicycles will allow disabled people to take part in both recreational and competitive cycling.
Wheelchair Hockey
Wheelchair hockey has two categories: a manual wheelchair and an electric wheelchair.
In addition, this allows people with different degrees of disability the opportunity to play hockey. Like regular hockey. There is a lot of pain.
Wheelchair Tennis
Furthermore, wheelchair tennis is almost played in the same way as regular tennis. The rules are basically the same.
The only difference is that the players are moving around in their wheelchairs. It had started in the 1970s by a man named Brad Parks.
Furthermore, this sport has gained much popularity among other wheelchair sports. It requires specialized equipment to play as regular ones may be quite challenging to handle.
The Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games is a big international sporting event for athletes with intellectual impairments or physical disabilities. This includes people with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, or cerebral palsy.
Furthermore, more than 4,000 athletes participate in 20 different sports.
In addition, many sports can be played on either electric or manual wheelchairs. Among them include racing, basketball, table tennis, tennis, bowling, hockey, badminton, football, and baseball.
Along with being sporting role models, an influential role that Paralympic athletes take is to use their fame and identity for political activism. The Paralympic Games campaign that sport at the highest level should be accessible to all people. The vision for the games is based on the four Paralympic Values: courage, determination, inspiration, and equality.
The para-athletes have a better social status, improved security, better educational opportunities, and easier employment access.
Furthermore, due to this and the extensive global media coverage, they can remove the stigma around conversations regarding disability.
In addition, the language used during the Paralympic Games is used with care as it can impact attitudes towards disability.
Paralympians that compete in their specialized sports achieve great lengths and do so with great pride.
They do not feel as if they are off the back of consolation of the Olympics.
Prue Watt regularly corrects people for calling her an Olympian rather than a Paralympian.
“I think Paralympic athletes must be true to themselves and authentically represent the values of the Paralympic movement rather than be incorrectly portrayed as an ‘Olympian,’” she says.
“Being called a Paralympian represents the fact that although we are born with or acquire a disability, we have overcome unique challenges through adaptability. Also have fought the many battles of misconceptions or assumed inability surrounding disability,”
Conclusion
In conclusion, stereotypes and judgments may still be a sad part of life for people living with a disability.
The Paralympic Games have played a vital role in challenging close-minded attitudes about difference and helped promote inclusivity while setting a new benchmark for what is believed to be possible.