The Paralympic Games and 60 years of change (1948–2008): unification and restructuring from a disability and medical model to sport-based competition

Abstract

The Paralympic Games began officially in 1960 and have evolved to become the second largest multisport event in the world, and the pinnacle of sporting achievement for athletes with disability. The transformation from a medical model in which sport was used for the purposes of rehabilitation to one focusing on elite athlete performance has occurred due to a myriad of personalities and events that led to significant organizational and structural change. For the purposes of this article, determination of what events constituted major change was based on a synthesis of the authors' personal experiences and suggestions from a number of international experts. The examples are embedded throughout the article within three time frames; burgeoning awareness, rise to prominence and transcendence. The conclusion is that the Paralympic Games had an indelible impact on disability, sport and society and that in the future this will only continue.