As the Paralympics have concluded, a Herts Uni lecturer discusses the major sporting event
From the celebration of disability in sport to barriers for athletes, Dr Chris Brown reflected on various aspects of the Paralympic Games
The 2024 Paris Paralympics were nine days of high level sport showcasing the best athletes from around the world, competing in specific disability categories.
Dr. Chris Brown, a Senior Lecturer in Sport Development at the University of Hertfordshire and an expert in disability support, has highlighted the importance of the Paralympic Games in providing a platform for athletes with impairments to showcase their sporting abilities.
In addition to his research work at the University, he is host to the Disability Sport Podcast, a platform to discuss all things disability sport.
In honour of the Paris 2024 Games, he released an explainer video, going back on the history of the Paralympics:
Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio, he reflected on the progress made since the London 2012 Paralympics, while noting that there is still a way to go in terms of inclusivity and visibility for disability sports.
Visibility of disability sport
Dr Brown said: "The Paralympic Games gives a platform a showcase of the amazing potential and abilities of athletes, first and foremost, who happen to have an impairment and can perhaps open eyes for audiences in terms of what is possible for people to achieve."
However, according to him, while the Paralympics offers an opportunity to challenge societal perceptions and inspire others, the event is not as widely celebrated as the Olympics.
He attributes this partly to inconsistent media coverage, which tends to focus on the Games every four years but offers little visibility in between.
"There's been progress, but it's still largely Paralympic Games, then nothing in between," Dr Brown said, pointing to the need for year-round media attention on disability sports.
Dr Chris Brown discusses sport participation legacy in a video:
Barriers to disability sports
Dr. Brown also identified various barriers that prevent greater participation in sports by people with disabilities.
These range from practical issues, such as transport and facility access, to more complex systemic problems like inadequate coaching support for disabled athletes.
Dr Brown said: "A Paralympic Games essentially is a two week event.
"For most people, it might help encourage and interest and perhaps inspire them to try and increase participation, but if there aren't any local sports clubs or the cost of transport is too great or there is disabling attitudes, that's going to be more of a deterrent than the inspiration you might get from the major events, I think."
He stressed that the Paralympic Games alone cannot address these challenges, and broader efforts are needed to improve accessibility and create more opportunities at the grassroots level.
Another key issue raised by Dr. Brown is the financial struggle faced by many Paralympic athletes.
While some high-profile athletes secure sponsorships, many others do not earn enough to make a living from their sport.
"Financing makes a huge difference," he explained, noting that the ability to focus on training without the burden of financial concerns can significantly impact performance.
Disability classification
Dr. Brown also touched on the complex classification system in the Paralympic Games, which seeks to ensure fair competition by grouping athletes based on their level of impairment.
While necessary, this system can be contentious.
He said: "It's definitely needed because otherwise you can't categorise sport and have people competing fairly amongst each other and so also there's lots of science involved in trying to make the classification system fair and transparent, but there are still certainly areas where it needs to be improved.
"Back to your example about wheelchair basketball, you have to have a specific type of impairment to be able to be eligible. So that obviously will exclude lots of people if they are not able to participate.
"That's the nature of the beast when it comes to classification system."
Athletes may further find themselves ineligible for future Games if classifications are updated, often based on evolving scientific understanding of impairments.
Empowerment
Dr. Brown highlighted that while the Paralympic Games can be a source of empowerment for elite athletes, it is crucial to consider the representation of disabilities and the potential impact on all disabled individuals.
He explained that the narrow view provided by the Paralympic Games does not offer a fully inclusive understanding of disability, and could potentially be disempowering for some individuals.
He said: "Disability is often misunderstood. Some people don't want to lean into disability because it implies there is an impairment or a limitation potentially.
"You also something called abelism. I don't know if people are aware of that, but basically there's a kind of perspective of what is deemed as normal is naturally predisposed on a non disabled perspective.
"And so if you are different and you don't adhere to that kind of normal image, then you can be seen as not as able or as capable.
"But it's about celebrating difference and I think the Paralympic Games is a fantastic tool for raising awareness and potentially changing attitudes."
Dr. Brown emphasised the importance of tempering expectations and providing a more realistic representation of the opportunities and potential of individuals with disabilities.
The future of the Paralympics
When asked how the Paralympics could change in the future, perhaps to bridge the gap of some of the challenges raised above, Dr Brown expressed doubt of a major growth of the event.
In terms of the number of events or sports included, he explained the logistical and financial pressures on host cities could be such that it can discourage cities from bidding to host Games.
"I don't think it could be done at this current stage if it's linked to the Olympics because it becomes too big as an overall package," he said.
However, he acknowledged that separating the Paralympics from the Olympics entirely could potentially allow for growth, though this raises other challenges.