Understanding parasport: an analysis of the differences between able-bodied and parasport from a sport policy perspective

ABSTRACT

Parasport is a growing field of study with many countries recognising the need to develop organisational structures in order to optimise the development of high-performance sport opportunities for Paralympic athletes. Policy development in this area is currently still under developed and a significant knowledge gap is apparent regarding the development of Paralympic athlete programmes, and the understanding of how to develop long-term athlete pathways. This study hereby aims to address this gap by identifying how elite sport policy approaches differ between able-bodied and parasport. Sixteen international Paralympic experts participated in comprehensive semi-structured interviews guided by the theoretical framework of the Sport Policy Factors Leading to International Sporting Success model. The results of this study suggest that a ‘one-size-fits-all approach’ does not exist in order to develop an effective parasport system. This study provides a framework illustrating the major differences between the able-bodied and parasport systems. Notably, this influences the way sport policies should be developed in order to generate awareness among sport policymakers and high-performance directors, in aid of helping them to understand parasport as a whole and its intricacies.

KEYWORDS:

• Parasport
• elite sport policy
• para-athlete pathways
• parasport context
• parasport policy

Acknowledgements

The author thanks Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) – Brazil, for the support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Throughout this paper, the term ‘parasport’ and its synonym ‘disability sport’ will be used and it is defined by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) as ‘All sport for athletes with an impairment whether they feature on the Paralympic programme or not. These terms are used for all other sports events outside of the Paralympic Games’ (International Paralympic Committee, 2003).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jacqueline Martins Patatas

Jacqueline Martins Patatas is a Doctoral Researcher within Vrije Universiteit Brussel’s Faculty of Physical Education. She is one of the few scholars concentrating on identify the influence of Sport Policy factors in the development of Paralympic athletes’ pathways, with a particular focus on Sport Management applied to Paralympic Sports.

Veerle De Bosscher

Veerle De Bosscher is an Associate Professor at the department of Sports Policy and Management of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium. She has established and coordinates a worldwide international network on research in high performance sport, called SPLISS (Sports Policy factors Leading to International Sporting Success). Her research has resulted in more than 120 publications: approximately 40 publications in the most respected and highest ranked sport management and other journals.

David Legg

David Legg is a Professor at the Department of Health and Physical Education of Mount Royal University, Calgary, Canada. He is chair of Adapted Physical Activity and Sport Management and is a former President for the Canadian Paralympic Committee. Currently he is a Member of the International Paralympic Committee's Sport Science Committee.