CHAPTER-4

PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS FOR CWSN

(CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS-DIVYANG)
4.1. Organizations Promoting Disability Sports (Special Olympics, Paralympics,
Deaflympics)
4.2. Concept of Classification and Divisioning in Sports
4.3. Concept of Inclusion in Sports, its Need and Implementation
4.4. Advantages of Physical Activities for Children with Special Needs
4.5. Strategies to make Physical Activities Accessible for CWSN

4.1. Organizations Promoting Disability Sports (Special Olympics, Paralympics,

Deaflympics)

ORGANIZATION PROMOTING ADAPTIVE SPORTS

(SPECIAL OLYMPICS BHARAT, PARALYMPICS, DEAFLYMPICS)
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
1. Special Olympics Bharat 2. Paralympics 3.Deaflympics
SPECIAL OLYMPICS BHARAT
 Eunice Kennedy Shriver sister of former president of The United States of America, John F
Kennedy introduced Special Olympics at world level. She started this camp because of concern
about children with intellectual disabilities having very little opportunity to participate in athletic
events.
 The first International Special Olympics Games were organized in 1968 in Chicago.
 It was founded in 1987 with a total of 37,546 athletes registered. It was named as Special
Olympic India.
 In 2001 it was renamed as Special Olympics Bharat.
 This National Sports Federation got registered under the Indian trust act 1882.
 Later in 2006 Government of India gave recognition to this federation with an aim to develop
sports among persons with intellectual disabilities.
VISION
 The vision of Special Olympics Bharat is to transform communities by inspiring people
throughout the world to open their minds.
 Accept & include people with intellectual disabilities and thereby celebrate the similarities
common to all.
MISSION
 The mission of Special Olympics Bharat is to give sports training and athletics competition for
children and adults.
 It has an aim to develop physical fitness.
 Demonstrate courage, experience joy and participant in the sharing of gifts. Skills and friendship
with their family’s other Special Olympics athletics and the community
 SPECIAL OLYMPICS OATH
 Let me win but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.
Activities of Special Olympics Bharat are following: -
a) Training in sports
 Trained athletes take part in various competitions.
 Competitions are held at District, State and National and International levels
 Selected athletes at the National level also gives coaching camps supported by the
Sports Authority of India to prepare for International competition events.
b) Promoting Healthy Athletes
 To improve health fitness by providing basic health checkups, preventive treatment
educational information & referrals for up care
c) Building Communities
 It provides enjoyment & also develops skills. It gives opportunity to have positive social
interaction between teammates.
d) Torch Run
 Special Olympic Bharat organizes torch run annually.
 This educates Special Olympics movement to people with intellectual disabilities.
e) Child athlete program
 It was started for the training and selection of suitable games for the children age
between 2 to 7.
Achievements of Special Olympics Bharat
 National Games: - Special Olympics Bharat is organizing different games at National level
since 2002. There are thousands of players who participated in these games.
 International Games: - 671 ATHLETES HAVE PARTICIPATED AT THE Special Olympics
World Games since 1987 until 2013. Through participation across 5 World Summer
Games they have won 246 Gold, 265 Silver and 275 Bronze medals.
PARALYMPICS
 The word ‘Paralympic’ is derived from the Greek preposition ‘para’ (beside or alongside) and the
word OLYMPIC. It means that the Paralympic Games are the parallel games to the Olympics and
illustrate how the two movements exist side by side.
 The games were originated at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Great Britain. In 1944 Dr. Ludwig
Guttmann, a German spinal injuries center to treat the war veterans through rehabilitation
sports. These gradually evolved to recreational sports and then to competitive sports. These
games were first organized in 1948 with London Olympics.
 These games were later called the Paralympics Games.
 In 1960, they were held in Rome, Italy. Since then, the games are held after every 4 years.
 The Paralympic Games include i) Amputee ii) Cerebral Palsy iii) Intellectual disabilities iv) Wheel-
chaired v) Visually impaired.
 The Paralympics are governed by International Paralympics Committee (IPC).
Paralympics Values
 i) Courage ii) Determination iii) Inspiration iv) Equality
Paralympics Motto
 2004 (Athens)- ‘Spirit in motion’ motto was introduced.
 1994- Mind, body and spirit was the earlier motto given for Paralympics.
 Paralympics Symbol
 It is composed of three ‘Agitos’ coloured red, blue and green (colours that are most commonly
represented in National flags around the World) and encircling a single point on a white field.
 The word “Agito” means ‘ I move’ in Latin is a symbol of movement in the shape of an
asymmetrical cresent.
 This Paralympic symbol was approved in April, 2003 and was first used in the year 2006
Paralympics.
Paralympics Flag
 The Paralympics flag has a white background with the Paralympic symbol in the centre.
Flame and Torch
 IPC declared that UK Will be involved in all flame and torch relays of the Paralympic Games in
order to commemorate the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire as the birth place of
the Paralympics movement.
Paralympics Oath
 In the name of all the competitors, we promise that we shall take part in these Paralympic
games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, committing ourselves to a sport
without doping and without drugs, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory and the
honour of our teams.
Paralympics order
 The Paralympic order is the highest order is the highest tribute a person connected with the
Paralympic movement can achieve. The recipients get a medal with the IPC logo on it.
Paralympians at the Olympics
 1984 Los Angeles: Neroli Fairhall (New Zealand) competed in Summer Olympics.
 2012 London Olympics: Oscar Pistorious (South Africa) Qualified for the 400m race.
DEAFLYMPICS
 The games have been organized by the Committee International des Sports des Sounds (CISS), The
International Committee of Sports for Deaf (ICSD) since the first event.
 Officially, the games were originally called the “International Games for the Deaf” from 1924 to
1965 but were sometimes also referred to as the ‘International Silent Games’. From 1966 to 1999
they were called ‘World Silent Games’.
 Finally in 2001, these games were named as Deaflympics.
 The Deaflympics are different from other IOC sanctioned games by the fact that they are organized
and run exclusively by members of the community they serve.
 Only deaf people are eligible to serve on the ISCD board executive bodies.
 Today, the number of national federation in the ICSD membership has reached 108.
MOTTO OF DEAFLYMPICS
 It is Per Lodus Aequalitas which means equality through sports.
ELIGIBILE ATHLETE
 Athletes must have a hearing loss of at least 55 decibels in the better ear.
 They must first meet minimum eligibility criteria and be a member of an affiliated National
Association.
 Athletes are forbidden to use any kind of hearing amplifications during competitions to avoid
taking an unfair advantage over those not using these devices.
Following events are held for Summer Deaflympics
 Athletics Badminton Basketball Beach volley ball Bowling
 Cycling Road Football Golf Handball Judo
 Karate Mountain Bike Shooting Swimming Table Tennis
 Taekwondo Tennis Wrestling – Greco Style
 Wrestling – Freestyle
The following are the events organized for the Winter Deaflympics:
 Alpine Skiing
 Cross Country Skiing
 Curling
 Ice Hockey
 Snow boarding
4.2. Concept of Classification and Divisioning in Sports
At the grassroots level, people with a disability can participate together with limited emphasis on rules
and regulations. As elements of competition are introduced, it becomes more important to group
people together according to their abilities in order to ensure fair competition.
Classification and Divisioning:
 The purpose of classification and divisioning is that athletes in competitions are matched up
with others of the same gender, about the same age and most importantly, of about the same
competitive ability. This allows fair competition between people with different types of
disabilities.
 Classification determines which athletes are eligible to compete in a sport and how athletes are
grouped for competition.
 In Para sports, athletes are grouped by the degree of activity limitation resulting from the
impairment. This, to a certain extent, is similar to grouping athletes by age, gender or weight.
 Different sports require athletes to perform different activities, such as: sprinting propelling a
wheelchair, rowing and shooting.
 As sports require different activities, the impact of the impairment on each sport also differs.
Therefore, for classification to minimize the impact of impairment on sport performance,
classification must be sport specific.
How does Classification Work? Athlete Evaluation Classification is carried out through a process called
“Athlete Evaluation” that comprises procedures for the assessment to athletes and the allocation of
Sport Class and Sport Class Status.
Athlete Evaluation answers three fundamental questions:
 Does the athlete have an Eligible impairment for this sport?
 Does the athlete’s Eligible Impairment meet the Minimum Impairment Criteria of the sport?
 Which Sport Class should the athlete be allocated in based on the extent to which the athlete is
able to execute the specific tasks and activities fundamental to the sport?
First Step: Determining if an Athlete has an Eligible Impairment Any athlete wishing to participate in
Para sports competition must have an Underlying Health Condition that leads to a Permanent Eligible
Impairment. The Paralympic Movement offers sports opportunities for athletes that have an impairment
that belongs to one of ten Eligible Impairment types.
The 10 Eligible Impairments are often referred to as three distinct groups:
  Physical impairments, comprising the eight impairments that cause activity limitations that are
biomechanical nature - impaired muscle power, impaired range of movement, limb deficiency
leg length difference, hypertonia, ataxia, athetosis and short stature;
 Vision impairment
 Intellectual impairment

Impairment Type Description Example

Impaired Muscle They have a Health Condition that either
Power reduces or eliminates their ability to voluntarily
contract with their muscles in order to move or
to generate force.
Impaired Passive They have a restriction or a lack of passive
Range of movement in one or more joints.
Movement
Limb Deficiency They have total or partial absence of bones or
joints a consequence of trauma
Leg Length Athletes with Leg Length Difference have a
Difference difference in the length of their legs.
Short Stature They have short stature have a reduced length
in the bones of the upper limbs, lower limbs
and/or trunk.
Hypertonia They have an increase in muscle tension and a
reduced ability of a muscle to stretch caused by
damage to the central nervous system.
Ataxia They have uncoordinated movements caused
by damage to the central nervous system.
Athetosis They have continual slow involuntary
movements.
Vision They have reduced, or no caused by damage to
Impairment the eye structure, optical nerves or optical
pathways, or visual cortex of the brain.
Intellectual The athletes have a restriction in intellectual
Impairment functioning and adaptive behaviour which
affects conceptual, social and practical adaptive
skills required for everyday life.
Spinal cord injury (complete or incomplete, tetraor
paraplegia or paraparesis), muscular dystrophy,
post-polio syndrome and spina bifida.
Arthrogryposis and contracture resulting from
chronic joint immobilization or trauma affecting a
joint.
(Traumatic amputation), illness (amputation due to
bone cancer) or congenital limb deficiency
(dysmelic).
As a result of a disturbance of limb growth, or as a
result of trauma.
Achondroplasia, growth hormone dysfunction and
osteogenesis imperfecta
Cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury and stroke.
Cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke and
multiple sclerosis.
Cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury and stroke.
Retinitis pigmentosa and diabetic retinopathy.
This impairment must be present before the age of
18.

Second Step: Determining if the Athlete Meets the Minimum Impairment Criteria for a Sport Each
sport’s classification rules describe how severe an Eligible Impairment must be for an athlete to be
considered eligible to compete. These criteria are referred to as Minimum Impairment Criteria.
Minimum Impairment Criteria must ensure that an athlete’s Eligible Impairment affects the extent to
which the athlete is able to execute the specific tasks and activities fundamental to the sport.
Examples of Minimum Impairment Criteria are a maximum height defined for athletes with short
stature, or a level of amputation defined for athletes and limb deficiency.
Third Step: Deciding an Athlete’s Sports Class after an athlete has been designated as eligible for a sport,
the classification panel will access which Sport Class the athlete will compete in. There are various Sport
Classes based on the level of impairment.
Example: In archery, the sport class ‘W1’ denotes athletes who compete in a wheelchair. There are
some sports that only have one sports class and then there is athletics, which include all 10 eligible
impairments and has over 50 sport classes. Para ice hockey and para powerlifting are among the sports
that have only one sport class.
4.3. Concept of Inclusion in Sports, its Need and Implementation

Inclusion Education (IE) is a new approach towards educating the children with disability and learning
difficulties with that of normal ones within the same roof. It brings all students together in one
classroom and community, regardless of their strengths or weaknesses in any area, and seeks to
maximize the potential of all students. In 1974, the centrally sponsored scheme for Integrated Education
for Disabled Children (IEDC) was introduced to provide equal opportunities to children with disabilities
in general schools and facilitate their retention. The government initiatives in the area of inclusion
education can be traced back to National Educational Policy, 1986, which recommended, as goal, “to
integrate the handicapped with the general community at all levels as equal partners, to prepare them
for normal growth and to enable them to face life with courage and confidence”.

Need of Inclusion Education It is beneficial in many ways to include the Divyang students in general
physical education. The need of inclusion education is as following:

 To increase self-confidence: The most important function of friendship is to make people feel
cared for, loved, and safe. In an inclusion educational setting, low-achieving students are able to
get extra help even though they did not qualify for special education. This leads to increase in
the self-confidence of Divyangs. To increase the academic level: Inclusion education is better
when exposed to the richness of the general education. Most students learn and perform better
when exposed to the richness of the general education curriculum. The growing body of
research has shown that children do better academically in inclusion settings and inclusion
provides opportunities to develop relationships.
 To develop motor skills: Divyangs get more and more opportunities by participating in physical
activities with the inclusion. It leads to increase in the self-confidence and they also learn
different skills. There is an increase in motor skills. There is also an increase in the speed,
strength, endurance and flexibility by participating in these kinds of activities. Apart from that
they can also participate in recreational activities outside the school.
 To develop the social skills: An interesting side effect is that these parents report that they also
feel more comfortable with people with special needs because of their children’s experiences.
Students with disabilities can create long-lasting friendships that would not be otherwise
 possible, and this friendship can give them the skills to navigate social relationship later on in
life.
 To help the normal students: Classmates of students with disabilities also experience growth in
social cognition, often can become more aware of the needs of others in inclusion classroom.
Implementation of Inclusion Education Inclusion Education helps the disabled child to develop a sense of
pride in their work because they actually feel like they accomplished something. We know that Albert
Einstein, Thomas Edison and Graham Bell were learning disabled but still managed to become the
greatest mind of the 20th century. Educating children with disabilities alongside their non-disabled peers
is considered one of the better ways to provide education.
So, there are following measures for better implementation of Inclusion Education:
 Student-oriented components, such as medical and education assessment, books and
stationery, uniforms, transport allowance, reader allowance and stipend for girls, support
service, assistive devices, boarding the lodging facility, therapeutic services, teaching learning
materials, etc. should provide according to needs of the students.
 The school has the primary responsibility for helping children learn alongside their typically
developing peers.
 An inclusion school must enable education structures, systems and methodologies to meet the
needs of all children, particularly those who face the greatest barriers to in achieving their right
to education.
 The reform of the curriculum should be made in parallel with a proper training for teachers
regarding their knowledge of inclusion and its principles. The curriculum for each of the above
programmes should be carefully developed by an expert group which includes practicing special
teachers.
 Bringing special children into mainstream requires adjustments that school need to make in
advance. Transport facilities should be altered, so that these children can move around with
relative ease. Architecturally, there should be ramps and wheelchair access constructed in
service areas such as toilets.
 Periodic evaluation of the training programmes and constant updating to meet the challenges of
changing trends in special education should be part of the planning of teacher preparation.
 Inclusion should not be the sole responsibility of the specific class teacher. Everybody should be
involved and take responsibility. Training for teachers should be sustained and ongoing. It
should be most importantly focus on attitudinal change.
 The Right to Education (RTE) must apply to all the citizens of India. State and Central
Governments as well as all the other social actions should be recognized the importance of a
broadened concept of inclusion education that addresses the diverse needs of all learners.
 Teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion education could be formed and developed in the context
of an education system which can provide some specific conditions in order to have a good
practice in this field.
 A policy of inclusion needs to be implemented in all schools and throughout Indian education
system (NCF, 2005), School need to become centres that prepare children for life and ensure
that all children, especially the differently able children from marginalized sections, and children
in difficult circumstances get the maximum benefit of this critical area of education.
  A school-based support team should develop strategies for the whole school to meet the needs
of learners with special educational needs. This team should also be a resource for teachers
experiencing problems in their classrooms.

4.4. Advantages of Physical Activities for Children with Special Needs

Advantages of Physical Activities of children with special needs
Physical Improvement
 Strengthen heart: Children, who exercise, make their heart muscles strong and healthy. It
prevents them from any chronic illness or heart ailments.
 Control weight: Regular exercises reduce extra fat and controls obesity.
 Strengthen bones: Exercise makes bones and muscles strong. It also increases bone density.
 Control B.P.: Exercise helps to control Blood Pressure.
 Improves energy levels: Exercise helps to increase R.B.C. count to make children active and agile.
It also provides oxygen to body and muscles provide strength to the body.
 Controls blood sugar: Insulin controls sugar level in body. Exercise helps to produce insulin to
prevent diabetes.
Mental Improvement
 Self-esteem: Exercise develops a sense of self-esteem and self-confidence of children. In fact,
interactions and involvement with other students in physical activities help children to have a
sense of belongingness.
 Health: Physical improves level of health and also prevent various lifestyle related to diseases
like hypertension, diabetes.
 Personality: Physical activities enhance children personality with a good posture and healthy
mind.
 Social benefits: Physical activities help to bridge the gap between children and adults and make
strong bonding among them.
 Work efficiency: Being physically active, the work efficiency of children will always increase.

4.5. Strategies to make Physical Activities Accessible for CWSN

Strategies to make physical activities accessible for children with special needs
 Medical check-up: If we want to make physical activities accessible for the children with special
needs, we need to understand the type of disabilities of children and for this purpose complete
medical check-up of the children is required. Because without complete medical check-up, the
teachers of physical education cannot come to know about the type of disability child is facing.
 Activities based on interests: Physical activities must be based on interest, aptitudes, abilities,
previous experience and limitations of children with special needs. The teachers of physical
education should have deep knowledge of limitations, interest and aptitudes of children.
 Different instructional strategies: A variety of different instructional strategies such as verbal,
visual and peer teaching should be used for performing various types of physical activities. By
this child get opportunity to learn by their own and become independent.
 Modification of rules: Rules can be modified according to the needs of the children. They can be
provided extra time or attempt to perform a physical activity.
 Specific environment: It is observed that children struggling with learning often compare
themselves with others and so may be easily offended and discouraged. Therefore, it is very
essential to provide calm, blame free environment. The work area must be safe and quiet and
free from distractions.