The conceptual boundaries of sport for the disabled: Classification and athletic performance

This article is a tentative attempt to shed some philosophical light on the complex process of classification and competitive categorization in sport for the disabled. Disabled athletes are typically grouped together for competition in classesaccording to their functional ability. Similarly disabled athletes compete together in the same categories on the dual premise of fair competition and equal opportunity to compete. In the Paralympic Games, the flagship of sport for the disabled, the elite athletes compete in a wide range of sports and competitive categories on an international stage. Classification and competitive categories in sport for the disabled are of current interest because of the commercially induced pressure to streamline the Paralympic Games by reducing the number of competitive categories on its program. This raises concerns about creating unfair competitions.

In this article we examine the principles and processes of classification against the dominant ideological backdrop of fair and equitable contest in sport. We argue that despite strict adherence to an ethic of fairness, governing bodies in their attempt to provide equitable classification must strike a balance between facilitating the opportunity to demonstrate worthy athletic performance in meaningful contests, on the one hand, and avoiding unfair meaningless no contests, on the other. This balance must be struck against the additional complication of promoting marketable competitive sport for elite disabled athletes and providing inclusive integrative opportunities for the wider community of disabled people.