UNIT 4

PHYSICAL EDUCATION & SPORTS FOR CWSN

ORGANISATIONS PROMOTING DISABILITY SPORTS

PARALYMPICS (Motto: Spirit in Motion)

[First held in 1960] [IPC was founded in 1989] [HQ in Germany]

SPECIAL OLYMPICS BHARAT (Motto: Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the
attempt)

[First held in 1968] [SOC was founded in 1968] [HQ in USA]

The Logo of Special Olympics is based on the sculpture “Joy and Happiness to All the Children
of the World” by Zurab Tsereteli and was adopted in 1979. It reflects joy, happiness,
confidence among children and adults with special needs who are learning coordination,
mastering skills, participating in competitions and preparing themselves for richer, more
productive lives.
 DEAFLYMPICS (Motto: Per Ludos Aequalitas) {Equality through sport}

[First held in 1924] [The International Committee of the Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) was
founded in 1924] [HQ in Switzerland]

The logo ties together strong elements: Sign language, deaf and international cultures, unity
and continuity. The hand shapes, “ok”, “good”, and “great” that overlap each other in a circle,
represent the original sign for “deaflympics”. Together, the hand shapes represent the sign
for “united”. The centre of the logo represents the iris of the eye, which defines deaf people
as visual people; they must use their eyes to communicate.

Concept of Classification and Divisioning in Sports

The IPC has established ten disability categories, including physical, visual, and intellectual
impairment. Athletes with one of these disabilities can compete in the Paralympics though not
every sport can allow for every disability category. These categories apply to both Summer and
Winter Paralympics.

1. Physical Impairment – There are eight different types of physical impairment:

 Impaired muscle power – With impairments in this category, the force generated by
muscles, such as the muscles of one limb, one side of the body or the lower half of the body
is reduced. eg., spinal cord injury, spina bifida, post-polio syndrome.
 Impaired passive range of movement – The range of movement in one or more joints is
reduced in a systematic way. Acute conditions such as arthritis are not included in this
category.
 Loss of limb or limb deficiency – A total or partial absence of bones or joints from partial or
total loss due to illness, trauma, or congenital limb deficiency. eg., amputation, dysmelia.
 Leg-length difference – Significant bone shortening occurs in one leg due to congenital
deficiency or trauma.
 Short stature – Standing height is reduced due to shortened legs, arms and trunk, which are
due to a Musculo-skeletal deficit of bone or cartilage structures. eg., achondroplasia, growth
hormone deficiency, osteogenesis imperfecta.
 Hypertonia – Hypertonia is marked by an abnormal increase in muscle tension and reduced
ability of a muscle to stretch. Hypertonia may result from injury, disease, or conditions
which involve damage to the central nervous system. eg., cerebral palsy.
 Ataxia – Ataxia is an impairment that consists of a lack of coordination of muscle
movements. eg., cerebral palsy, Friedreich’s ataxia, multiple sclerosis.
 Athetosis – Athetosis is generally characterized by unbalanced, involuntary movements and
a difficulty maintaining a symmetrical posture (eg., cerebral palsy, choreoathetosis).

2. Visual Impairment – Athletes with visual impairment ranging from partial vision,
sufficient to be judged legally blind, to total blindness. This includes impairment of one or
more component of the visual system – eye structure, receptors, optic nerve pathway, and
visual cortex. The sighted guides for athletes with a visual impairment are such a close and
essential part of the competition that the athlete with visual impairment and the guide are
considered a team. Beginning in 2012, these guides, along with sighted goalkeepers in 5-a-
side football, became eligible to receive medals of their own.

3. Intellectual Disability – Athletes with a significant impairment in intellectual functioning

and associated limitations in adaptive behaviour fall under the category of intellectual
disability. The IPC primarily serves athletes with physical disabilities, but the Intellectual
Disability group has been added to some Paralympic Games. This includes only athletes with
exceptional athletic ability who have intellectual disabilities diagnosed before the age of 18.
However, the IOC recognized Special Olympics World Games are open to all people with
intellectual disabilities.

Divisioning in Special Olympics

Athletes shall be divided into competition division based upon their ability, age and sex.
Competition divisions are structured so that an athlete competes against another athlete of
similar ability.

1. Age

Team Sports Individual Sports

15 & under 8-11 years
16-21 years 12 – 15 years
22 and above 16-21 years
22-29 years
30 and above

2. Gender: In the second step, athletes are grouped as per gender, in some
circumstances gender can be combined too.
3. Ability: Finally, athletes in Special Olympics are grouped according to their skill
abilities scores which are recorded by committee through preliminary and on-site
events.
 Maximum Effort Rule: To achieve the intentions of fairness, there is a ‘maximum efforts
rule’, wherein athletes are expected to give their maximum effort during divisioning
process and coaches are expected to motivate all athletes towards giving their best.

ENCOURAGING INCLUSION THROUGH P.E. & SPORTS

1. Role of Family – The role of family in encouraging a healthy, sports-oriented lifestyle for a
child with a disability is crucial. At times the family may find it difficult to accept reality, and
may give up on the child. It is essential to promote awareness and to treat a CWSN as equal
in the family.

2. Role of School – School gives a structured programme to a child or a group where co-
scholastic activities and sports are a part of the regular routine. All schools must have
trained APE teachers to give a specially-abled child access to games where equipment and
movements are adapted in a fun way for her/his holistic development.

3. Role of Organisations – There are some organizations working at the grass root level to
promote adapted sports. These organizations are responsible for training teachers and
coaches for teaching, coaching and organizing sports events at Zonal, District, State,
National and International levels.

NEED FOR INCLUSION

1. Builds Self Esteem – Inclusive classrooms are filled with diverse learners. This lets kids
observe and talk about diverse learning patterns and the manner in which everyone learns
in their own way. CWSN may find that they have more in common with other students and
this goes a long way in building self-esteem.

2. Improves Social and Communication Skills: Inclusive education provides ample

opportunities for all students – students with disabilities and those without disabilities – to
have better social relations amongst themselves.

3. Enhances Sensitivity – It has been noted that students without disabilities become more
sensitive if they study in a classroom where they have students with special needs. They
understand and appreciate their emotions and feelings and become more sensitive and
caring towards them.

4. Creates a Sense of Belonging – All children are able to be part of a community and
develop a sense of belonging. This makes them better prepared for life as they learn to
value each other despite their differences.

5. Enhances Academic Performance – Inclusive education leads to better academic

performance than in exclusive education. It provides better opportunities for learning as
children with varying abilities are often better motivated when they learn in classes
surrounded by other children.
 Advantages of Physical Activities for CWSN

1. Physical benefits – Scientific studies of disability groups have demonstrated that

participation in physical activity and sport leads to improved levels of well-being and
physical health. Children with intellectual disabilities may have additional physical
disabilities resulting in below age-level performance in typical motor skills. Regular
involvement in physical education and sport can help them to develop their gross motor and
fine motor skills.

2. Mode of Recreation and Fun - CWSN frequently miss out on social activities, recreation
and fun. Participation in extracurricular and sports activities can help them overcome this
obstacle, providing them with the ability to engage in social interactions, make friends and
initiate social skills.

3. Improved Emotional Health - Including physical activity in a healthy lifestyle is proven to

decrease rates of depression. CWSN often tend to have more emotional problems like
depression. Participating in regular exercise can be a life-changing benefit by improving
mental health and wellbeing.

4. Channelizing the Surplus Energy – Children with disabilities like ADHD display
hyperactivity which, if appropriately directed, can bear positive results related to cognitive
benefits and constructive behaviour.

5. Psychological benefits – Regular participation in sports and physical activities is not just
beneficial for the body, it is beneficial for the mind, too. Physical activity improves general
mood and wellness in CWSN by improving their self-esteem, social awareness, and self-
confidence, all of which are factors essential for empowering their lives. On the one hand
the physical outlet provided by sports and physical activity reduces anxiety, stress and
depression, and on the other, interaction and involvement with other students gives
children a sense of accomplishment and confidence.

6. Increased Independence – Participation in Physical Education and Sports is a mode to

transit towards greater independence due to improved daily life skills. For a person with a
disability, an increase in physical activity can lead to more independence and freedom.
Increased physical strength and energy that comes from regular exercise allows persons
with disability to do more daily tasks without assistance.

7. Healthy lifestyle – CWSN are about twice as likely as other children to be overweight or
obese often due to the greater likelihood of being sedentary due to their disability. It is
imperative that these children, as much or more, than other students must learn about the
steps to leading a healthy lifestyle, within the context of the abilities and limitations of their
respective conditions.

8. Behavioural Benefits – The energetic nature of physical education leads to cognitive

improvements in CWSN, allowing them to develop skills that they may not develop in a
traditional classroom setting. They help the child learn to practice self-regulation and
enhance their decision- making skills.
 Strategies to Make Physical Activities Accessible for CWSN

Communication: Advance information about activity, space, resource person or any change
in activity should be communicated clearly. A variety of different instructional strategies
such as verbal, visual and peer teaching should be used for performing various types of
physical activities so that children get opportunity to participate in physical activity. The
teacher could use visuals or social story about the activity.

Space: For CWSN, space should be approachable for people having physical disability. The
area for the physical activity should be limited. Space for activities should be disturbance
free (noise, heat, cold, texture of floor, audience etc.) It is always better to start with indoor
space. Boundaries should be demarked clearly as starting point, finishing point, sitting area.
In case of children who have autism, they must be provided specific area because they may
need some time to relax. Once behaviours, discipline, understanding of instructions are
clear then one can transit towards outdoor space also.

Equipment: A lack of appropriate equipment, coupled with a lack of professionals trained

to support physical activity among children and youth with different ability levels,
discourages participation. There are a growing number of disabled people who are
interested in recreation and sport activities. In recent years several modified devices are on
offer for adapted sports. There are many examples of simple and sophisticated equipment,
including computerized devices like wheelchairs for recreation and sport activities.

Graded Activities (It is a type of treatment in which there is a gradual increase in physical
or cognitive activity over time): During initial stage activities should be simple and each
activity should be based on a single action. There should be a gradual move from non-
locomotor to locomotor to manipulated activities. For these activities, the level of assistance
should be physical, verbal and independent. CWSN need help in learning a fundamental
motor skill. It will need to be practised with the students so they are able to visualize it
through the teacher’s body action.

Social strategies: A CWSN must be allowed to choose a sport she/he enjoys. It’s easier for
children to be motivated when they enjoy the activity. At first, the CWSN should be
encouraged to watch others. Once the child sees people having fun as they play, she/he will
be motivated to participate too. Then, the child could be started on individual training, and
transferred to a small group with supervision and reminder.

Psychological strategies: Because of previous exclusion or limited access, children with

disabilities need a lot of motivation to participate in physical activity. It’s all about the cycle
of conditioning: active kids who stay active grow stronger and more physically literate as
they age. The cycle of deconditioning works the same way: for children who don’t
participate, the less they do, the less they’re able to do.