topic Re: paralympic lost the plot? in Community Spirit

paralympic lost the plot?

davidc4430 — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 06:51:05 GMT

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-28/paralympics-swimming-down-sydrome-exclusion/7783760

you must be kidding, downs syndrome and your not in the paralympics!

someones head should roll over this one IMO

Re: paralympic lost the plot?

kopenhagen5 — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 07:08:42 GMT

I can see the point though.

They are required to have an intellectual impairment as Down syndrome doesn't necessarily give any physical disabilities.

So you could have a person with Downs and be just as good as a normal swimmer.

There are obviously different levels of Downs so perhaps categories within Downs need to be defined.

Re: paralympic lost the plot?

the_great_she_elephant — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 07:37:26 GMT

I thought the Paralympics was for the physically impaired. Doesn't the special Olympics cater for for the intellectually disabled?

http://www.specialolympics.org/la2015/

Re: paralympic lost the plot?

davidc4430 — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 08:42:17 GMT

how many downs syndrome athletes were in the normal (hate that description) olympics?

none

that kinda says if you have downs syndrom your not going to qualify for the 'normal' olympics.

i'm pretty sure having downs syndrome makes you disabled in sporting events IMO

i did hear of 1 female competing for australia in the olympics will also compete in the paralympics, table tennis? not sure now.

Re: paralympic lost the plot?

imastawka — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 09:12:10 GMT

I think she ele is right.

Downs Syndrome competitors should be in the Special Olympics.

The Special Olympics is for intellectual disablilities only.

Re: paralympic lost the plot?

the_great_she_elephant — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 09:12:51 GMT

How many Downs Syndrome athletes had personal best times that would have qualified them for the "normal" Olympics?

Re: paralympic lost the plot?

davidc4430 — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 09:56:55 GMT

there ought to be just 2 olympics, non disabled and disabled. how difficult can it be to add intellectually disabled people? gotta be cheaper than holding a seperate event, plus bring them into the 'olympic' family.

after all, every athlete would prefer an 'olympic' medal to any other. and to be able to say 'i performed for my country at the olympics'

Re: paralympic lost the plot?

davidc4430 — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 10:02:08 GMT

@the_great_she_elephant wrote:
How many Downs Syndrome athletes had personal best times that would have qualified them for the "normal" Olympics?

i doubt a downs syndrom athlete will ever have a time good enough to go to the normal olymics, thats why i say they should be eligable for the paralympics, having a mental illness should qualify you for the paras.

paralympics should cover all the ones with disabilities who will never go to the 'normal' olympics.

just my view.

Re: paralympic lost the plot?

davidc4430 — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 10:05:43 GMT

oh, i also think calling something 'special' is condescending to disabled people these days. they have a disability, they are not 'special' no matter what bruce says.

of course they are all special to their mums.

Re: paralympic lost the plot?

lyndal1838 — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 11:18:32 GMT

The name Special Olympics has been in use for nearly 50 years now....why is it suddenly demeaning?

Re: paralympic lost the plot?

onlinehokum — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 04:14:01 GMT

i work with both physically & intellectually disabled people so i totally i agree with you David

Re: paralympic lost the plot?

lurker172602 — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 04:31:14 GMT

Wasn't there some drama a few years back with people "pretending" they had a mental impairment when they didn't. So intellectual disability was taken out of the Paralympics?

Spanish basketballers it may have been?

Re: paralympic lost the plot?

lurker172602 — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 04:36:53 GMT

article here

actually it looks like it might have only been basketball that removed the intellectual disability event. I didn't realise it was in Sydney though.

Re: paralympic lost the plot?

imastawka — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 04:46:50 GMT

Good pick up Lurks

And I think that article settles the argument IMO

Re: paralympic lost the plot?

happyroo_bunji — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 12:37:12 GMT

From what I understand there is no SPECIFIC category for Down syndrome. In the paraolympics you either have to be in the physical or intellectual disability cagetories, there isn't a category that covers both

Re: paralympic lost the plot?

bjackson0000 — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 14:32:11 GMT

@davidc4430 wrote:
oh, i also think calling something 'special' is condescending to disabled people these days. they have a disability, they are not 'special' no matter what bruce says.

of course they are all special to their mums.

David, "special" is an attempt to focus on the positive aspect of the person. Not all people with a low IQ are disabled. Some are functioning better than people with so called normal IQ's in society. I think you are being a little condescending yourself in stating, "of course they are all special to their mums". Many of these Mums are ferociously dedicated, deeply loving and probably willing to give their lives for their child. They are special, because they are different. And you could see it that way too if you viewed their specialness as something that has the potential to be good, rather than disabling.

Re: paralympic lost the plot?

*tippy*toes* — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 15:38:39 GMT

@lyndal1838 wrote:
The name Special Olympics has been in use for nearly 50 years now....why is it suddenly demeaning?

Because we now have political correctness, so people are expected to tippy toe around on egg shells for fear of being accused of discriminating. I used to live near the Spastic Centre back in the day. I have no idea what it's called now but I can tell you it won't be that. The political correctness society would have made sure of that.

I hate political correctness. Especially when you hear people say things like non white instead of saying black. People who aren't white are black or brown. There is nothing racist or discriminatory about referring to a black person as black. They refer to us as white.

Re: paralympic lost the plot?

onlinehokum — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 21:06:29 GMT

@bjackson0000 wrote:
@davidc4430 wrote:
oh, i also think calling something 'special' is condescending to disabled people these days. they have a disability, they are not 'special' no matter what bruce says.

of course they are all special to their mums.
.............Not all people with a low IQ are disabled. Some are functioning better than people with so called normal IQ's in society. ..........

recently i read two books on autism, one was Neurotribes, the other Autism Breakthrough

autisic people are actually extremely intelligient i.e Austism Breakthough's author was given an IQ of below 30 when he was diagnoised. because his parents learnt how to 'deal' with their son's autism, the author is now fully recovered from his autism & leads a perfectly 'normal' life

Re: paralympic lost the plot?

cezm — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 21:36:21 GMT

I think the Olympics and Paralympics (as in Parallel Olympics) are about competition and being the best.

The Special Olympics serve a different purpose and are about supporting participants and partner with organisations like UNICEF, International Volleyball Association. The benefits of the Special Olympics would be lost by lumping athletes in the Paralympics to save money.

Re: paralympic lost the plot?

debra9275 — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 22:54:34 GMT

its terrible to hear that a paralypian died after an accident

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/paralympian-bahman-golbarnezhad-dies-while-competing-in-rio-20160917-grirkb.html