A social-historical perspective on the development of sports for persons with physical disability in Israel

Abstract

The purpose of this essay is to describe the main developments within Israel of sports for persons with a disability across the 60 years of Israel's existence. Following introductory remarks on the global development of this aspect of sports in relation to Israel's cultural context, the early leaders, who established sports for persons with disability in Israel, are acknowledged. In the next section, the official structures governing and facilitating organized sports for participants with a disability are portrayed, leading up to an account of Israel's participation in the Paralympic Games. Trends in participation of male and female athletes and the medals gained between 1960 and 2004 are highlighted and discussed. This review of Paralympic accomplishments is concluded with a comprehensive description of the events related to hosting the Paralympic Games in 1968. Current trends and future directions, encompassing the need for increasing grassroots level participation and governmental support, as well as the issues of female under representation and differences in support systems provided to Israeli Defence Force veterans compared to those with disabilities due to other causes, sum up this essay.

Notes

¹ Ministry of Justice, State of Israel: Equal Rights Commission for Persons with Disabilities website, 2008. http://www.justice.gov.il/MOJHeb/NetzivutNEW/.

² United Nations Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, ‘Enable: Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities 2008’. http://www.un.org/disabilities/.

³ Ministry of Justice, State of Israel: Equal Rights Commission for Persons with Disabilities website, 2008.

⁴ Hutzler, ‘Adapted Physical Activity’.

⁵ Shakespeare, ‘Disability, Identity and Difference’.

⁶ Hutzler, ‘The Concept of Empowerment’; Hutzler and Bar-Eli, ‘Psychological Benefits’; Sørensen, ‘Integration in Sport’.

⁷ Norman, Sandvin and Thommesen, A Holistic Approach.

⁸ Hutzler, ‘Systematic Ecological Modification Affroach’.

⁹ Hutzler, ‘Ethical Considerations’.

¹⁰ Major sources were Gershon Huberman, first director of the Israel Sport Center for the Disabled (ISCD) interviewed in Tel Aviv in November 2007, and Reuven Heller, former Sports Director of the ISCD and Israeli Team Manager throughout eight summer Paralympic Games, interviewed in February 2008.

¹¹ Anderson, ‘“Turned in Tax Payers”’.

¹² Scruton, Stoke Mandeville.

¹³ Lomi, Geroulanos and Kekatos, ‘Sir Ludwig Guttmann’, 95.

¹⁴ Steadward, ‘Excellence’, 294.

¹⁵ McCann, ‘Sports for the Disabled’, 279–80.

¹⁶ ‘“Old Bill Number 2” is no Laundry Van’. Bucks Advertiser and Aylesbury News, August 6, 1948, 10.

¹⁷ Bailey, S., Athlete First.

¹⁸ Photograph of Dr Ralph Spira with the three Israeli competitors, The Cord 6, no.2 (1953): 12.

¹⁹ ‘Paraplegic Games “Starred” Wheelchair Sportsmen’. Bucks Herald, August 14, 1953, 7.

²⁰ ‘Swimming – Latest Paralympic Games’. Bucks Advertiser and Aylesbury News, August 14, 1953, 13.

²¹ The Jewish Agency for Israel, http://www.jafi.org.il/education/100/concepts/sport/9.html.

²² This section is almost entirely based on personal communication with Gershon Huberman himself.

²³ Lorenzen, Lehrbuch des Versehrtensport.

²⁴ Letter from Dr Ralph Spira printed in The Cord, 5, 2 (July 1952): 42–3.

²⁵ Huberman, ‘A Short Survey of the History of Sport for the Physically Handicapped’.

²⁶ Spira and Bar-Or, ‘An Investigation of the Ambulation Problems’.

²⁷ Reuven Heller, personal communications, Ramat Gan, May 2008.

²⁸ Gal and Bar, ‘The Needed and the Needy’.

²⁹ Zahal Disabled Veterans Organisation, http://zdvo.org/zdvo.html.

³⁰ Shved, ‘Adapted Physical Activity in Israel’.

³¹ Spira and Bar-Or, ‘An Investigation of the Ambulation Problems’.

³² Bar-Or, Inbar and Spira, ‘Physiological Effects of a Sports Rehabilitation Program’.

³³ Bar-Or and Rowland, ‘Neuromuscular and Musculoskeletal Diseases’.

³⁴ Bobath, Abnormal Reflex Activity.

³⁵ Hutzler et al. , ‘Effects of Movement and Swimming Program’.

³⁶ Getz, Hutzler and Vermeer, ‘The Effects of Aquatic Intervention’.

³⁷ Etgarim, http://www.etgarim.org/.

³⁸ Israel 21c website, http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enDisplay = view&enDispWhat = object&enZone = Culture&enDispWho = Articles%5El785&enPage = BlankPage.

³⁹ Israel Sports Association for the Disabled, Powerpoint Presentation.

⁴⁰ National Insurance Institute of Israel, Funds and Community.

⁴¹ International Stoke Mandeville Games: Prize Winners.

⁴² The Jewish Agency for Israel, http://www.jafi.org.il/education/100/concepts/sport/9.html.

⁴³ Kahan, Fogelman and Bloch, ‘Correlations of Work, Leisure, and Sports Physical Activities’.

⁴⁴ Minutes of the Meeting of the International Stoke Mandeville Games Committee held at Stoke Mandeville Hospital on July 27, 1966, pt. 75 (4). IWAS Archives, Stoke Mandeville.

⁴⁵ Minutes of the Meeting of the International Stoke Mandeville Games Committee held at Stoke Mandeville Hospital on February 25, 1967, pt. 83. IWAS Archives, Stoke Mandeville.

⁴⁶ Minutes of the Meeting of the International Stoke Mandeville Games Committee held at Stoke Mandeville Hospital on July 26, 1967, pt. 90 (1). IWAS Archives, Stoke Mandeville.

⁴⁷ Official Results of the 17th International Stoke Mandeville Games in Israel, Distribution of Medals, p.149. IWAS Archives, Stoke Mandeville.

⁴⁸ The 17th International Stoke Mandeville Games for the Paralysed in Israel, Timetable of Sports Events. Author owned copy.

⁴⁹ L. Guttmann, Report on the 1968 International Stoke Mandeville Games in Israel, 1. IWAS Archives, Stoke Mandeville, 1968.

⁵⁰ IPC Website, http://www.paralympic.org/release/Main_Sections_Menu/ParalympicGames/Past_Games/Tel_Aviv_1968/index.html.

⁵¹ ‘Women's Pioneer is Winner of Paraplegic Games Gold’. Jerusalem Post, November 20, 1968.

⁵² ‘Israel Wins Basketball Title in Invalid Olympic Games’. Jerusalem Post, November 13, 1968.

⁵³ L., Guttmann, Report on the 1968 International Stoke Mandeville Games in Israel, 2. IWAS Archives, Stoke Mandeville, 1968.

⁵⁴ L., Guttmann, Report on the 1968 International Stoke Mandeville Games in Israel, 2. IWAS Archives, Stoke Mandeville, 1968, 2–3.

⁵⁵ Rashkes, Doomed to Glory.

⁵⁶ Rashkes, Doomed to Glory