The right to participate, with rights to win: the International Paralympic Games.

On 17 September 2004 in Athens, Greece, 3,837 athletes from 136 nations were present to participate in the opening ceremonies of the XII Paralympic Games. As the second largest worldwide sporting event, the Paralympics provide Olympic-level sporting opportunities for athletes with disabilities from around the world. On the same day, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), in collaboration with Rehabilitation International (RI, which also stands for rights and inclusion), hosted the first International Paralympic Symposium on Disability Rights. The event, aimed to give support to the draft UN convention to promote and protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, advocated for the human rights of both Paralympic athletes and citizens with disabilities at large. These rights include, but are not limited to, the rights to play, to sports and recreation, and to full participation in society. It is vital that persons with disabilities and organizations working with them are educated and get involved in their own communities to support the work of the United Nations towards a disability convention.

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The Paralympic Games were logically chosen as the site for launching the support of the IPC towards the draft UN convention. As the UN Secretary-General explains, "the Paralympic Games are a powerful demonstration of the vitality and achievements of persons with a disability worldwide". The athletes exemplify a human spirit that inspires and excites the world. They show the energy that sport has to offer in changing perceptions, and because sport is a common global language, the Paralympics have the opportunity to unite all. In September, the IPC adopted a position statement on human rights that serves to reinforce its core belief that every individual should enjoy access and opportunities to leisure, recreation and sporting activities. This right should be granted and guarded by the legal and administrative systems of responsible Governments and communities. The IPC believes both sport and human rights are for all.

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While improvements have been made in some countries for persons with disabilities, the fact remains that without an international human rights convention, the rights of these members of society cannot be effectively guaranteed. As the largest minority group in the world, they have not received the same rights assurances that other minorities have achieved and they continue to face discrimination in numerous ways. A UN convention will have a global effect and will strengthen the ability to advocate for human rights, both locally and nationally.

In the context of sport and recreation, persons with disabilities have, among others, the right to: participate in sporting and recreational activities at all levels; organize and participate in sporting activities; receive the necessary instruction, training and resources; and access sporting, recreational and leisure venues. In addition, children and youth with disabilities have the right to equal access in sporting, recreational and leisure activities, including those within the educational system. They also have the right to engage in play. Despite these obvious assertions, these rights remain unattainable for most citizens with disabilities.

International human rights law also recognizes that all people have a right to rest, to leisure time and to participate in recreation and sports. In 1976, the first International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education, held by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), affirmed, among other things, the right of persons with disabilities to participate in physical education and sport. The treaty body that monitors the implementation of the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in General Comment No. 5 on disability, has recognized the relevance of these broad rights for persons with disabilities, which extend to participation in tourism and recreational activities, including sport. Rule 11 of the UN Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities outlines the measures States should take to ensure that these persons have equal opportunities for recreation and sports.

As we can see through observations of our global society, persons with disabilities undoubtedly face discrimination, which in some cases manifests itself in the complete denial of access to participation in recreational activities, including competitive and spectator sporting events. Even in cases where access to these activities may be open to persons with disabilities, they may nonetheless face restrictions owing to physical access, prohibitive costs, inequitable services and programmes, or poor quality of integration. Lack of understanding and awareness of how to include persons with disabilities in sport and recreation has contributed to exclusionary practices and, accordingly, their participation remains undervalued and ignored. It is therefore essential that the convention currently being drafted within the United Nations explicitly include a provision on this right and its specific application to persons with disabilities.

Sports and recreation are also related to rehabilitation and education. The origin of the Paralympic Movement lies in rehabilitation. In 1944, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann, at the request of the British Government, opened a spinal injuries centre at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital. A new approach introduced sport as a paramount part of the remedial treatment and total rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. Rehabilitation sport evolved rather quickly to recreational sport and within only a few years the next step was competitive sport. Sports and recreation assist in achieving the goals of many rehabilitation programmes. In the words of Prince Ra'ad Bin Zeid of Jordan, "sports have proven to be an invaluable vehicle for early rehabilitation for persons with a disability and plays an important role in their integration". It is critical for them to have the means to comprehensive and proactive rehabilitation, including the opportunity to participate in sport and recreation.

It is also important to recognize the role of sport and recreation in education and professional development. The physical strength, self-determination and empowerment often realized through participation can raise the bar for persons with disabilities to achieve excellence in these areas. According to a current Paralympic athlete, "through my participation in sport, I have now developed the strength, agility and chair-handling skills that enable me to participate competitively in medical school, where physical tasks are often an imperative part of my occupational duties".

The IPC believes strongly in the right to participate in sport and recreational activities. As stated in its position statement, the Committee agrees to continue to promote its philosophy on human rights and actualize its policy through the Paralympic Games and other IPC-sanctioned sporting activities. At the grass-roots level, this is often achieved through its membership and cooperation with nations, regions, sports and groups representing persons with a disability. The IPC supervises and coordinates the Paralympic Summer and Winter Games and other competitions, the most important of which are the World and Regional Championships. Headquartered in Bonn, Germany, it also supports the recruitment and development of athletes worldwide across all performance levels.

  "If I want to be the world champion in the marathon, and I am
committed to the training and lifestyle that will make me be a world-
class athlete, then no lack of opportunity should stand in my way. If I
want to get up at 6:00 a.m. to go push 26 miles on a daily basis for
months at a time, I should not be prohibited from doing so by a set of
steps that leads up to the training path. In addition, I should be able
to say with pride that I am a wheelchair marathoner, and that in
defining my course, I have the potential to be a member of the United
States Paralympic Team. This is a human right."
--Cheri Blauwet
2000 and 2004 United States Paralympic Athlete

For more information, please consult the tool kits developed by RI and the IPC on the rights of persons with disabilities to leisure, sport and recreation, which are available on the IPC Website (www.paralympic.org). Contributions to this article have been made by RI and the Center for Sport in Society at Northeastern University.

Amy Farkas has been Development Manager since 2003 at the International Paralympic Committee, which aims to develop and sustain the Paralympic Movement. Prior to this, she worked as Program Manager for the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation's Sports for Life program in Kosovo, and was an information specialist at the United States National Center on Physical Activity and Disability.

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