Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
in the service of the Olympic ideal in 1956. From these early pioneering events, sport par-
ticipation for individuals with disabilities has continually evolved and developed into its
current state.
Sports participation for the disabled has changed from being a clinical rehabilitation tool
to an increasingly competition-oriented activity that calls for specialized coaching and
training (McCann 1996). Although it was introduced by Guttman in 1944 as a component
of patient rehabilitation programs, sports came to be practiced by people with disability
even after rehabilitation and eventually developed into their current organized and com-
petitive nature (Vanderstraeten and Oomen 2010) that is characteristic of both the Special
Olympics and the Paralympic Games.
19.3.2 Classification Systems within Paralympic Sports
Specific biological demands are associated with particular physical disabilities (Burkett
2010) and efforts to create fair competition have led to athlete classification systems in
which athletes within a common range of performance potential were grouped together
(McCann 1984). By minimizing the effect of impairment severity on the outcome of com-
petition, participation in sport is promoted among persons with disabilities (Tweedy and
Vanlandewijck 2010).
The original Paralympic classification system used a medical model and defined five
classes of disability (Tweedy 2003). The classifications grouped athletes as those with
(1) amputation, (2) cerebral palsy, (3) spinal cord injury, (4) visual impairment, or (5) any
other condition that does not fit in any of the preceding four groups. As sports for the
disabled ceased from being an extension of medical rehabilitation, the classification sys-
tem also shifted into a functional model. Using a functional classification system, athletes'
classes are determined not by the medical diagnosis but by the extent of impact of impair-
ments on sports performance (Tweedy and Vanlandewijck 2010). Currently, functional
classification systems are being used and are sport-specific because a single impairment
may have different degrees of impact on each kind of sport. Although an athlete's clas-
sification is recognized to significantly affect the degree of success that he or she is likely
to achieve, Paralympic classification systems are still based on judgments of recognized
experts. However, research is needed to establish valid and reliable methods to assess and
classify impairments (Beckman and Tweedy 2009). As such, current research activities of
the Paralympic movement are driven toward the development of evidence-based classifi-
cation systems.
Initial research output concerning sport classification systems illustrates the rela-
tionship of consequences of impairment with sport-specific performance determinants
(Vanlandewijck et al. 2010). In a pilot study, the impact of trunk strength impairment on
wheelchair acceleration was examined. Within the research process, the main determi-
nants of wheelchair sports were defined, and acceleration of the wheelchair from stand-
still was found to be crucial. The impact of trunk muscle strength on the acceleration
determinant was quantified. Furthermore, a standardized, valid, and reliable measure of
the determinant was established. This study has illustrated the importance of understand-
ing the impact of impairment on specific activities in establishing guidelines for evidence-
based classification systems. In another preliminary study, five tests (standing broad
jump, four bounds for distance, 10-m speed skip, running in place, and split jumps) were
evaluated to determine which combination explained the greatest amount of variance in
running performance (Beckman and Tweedy 2009). The tests were found reliable and a
substantial amount of explained variance (as much as 75%) in running performance by a
