Current
Affairs
PC
GB approves progress report on inclusion of ID athletes in
IPC Sanctioned Events
31-03-09
Following the release
of the joint position statement by IPC and INAS-FID on the
combined efforts to re-include athletes with intellectual
disability in future Paralympic Games and other IPC-sanctioned
competitions, significant progress on the three key areas
(eligibility, sport-specificity and on-site protests and appeals)
has been reported to the IPC Governing Board meeting of 28-29
March 2009. The progress is the outcome of further meetings
of the IPC/INAS-FID Working Group, the associated Research
Group, and a meeting with representatives of different sports
targetted for short-term inclusion.
1. The IPC GB approved
the action plan that foresees in the following process in
place by Summer 2009:
a. INAS-FID to approve
medical documentation that is submitted via the National Federations
in support of the diagnosis of intellectual disability on
the basis of the following criteria:
i. Intellectual
disability as defined by international recognized definition
of IQ < 75, adaptive behaviour, and age onset < 18
years (definition as set by WHO, AAMR)
ii. Reduced number
of tests to measure IQ as part of point i. (list to be approved
at the INAS-FID General Assembly, April 2009)
iii. Verification
process of the evidence presented under point i. by an international
expert panel (INAS-FID to implement this panel by May 2009).
b. On-site verification
of sport-specific eligibility by means of a computerized test-battery
(see further under point d.) under the authority of ‘classifiers’
(experts appointed by the International Sport Federation).
Participation in the testing is mandatory requirement for
ID athletes that want to participate in IPC Sanctioned Events
c. Observation in
competition of ID Athletes on the basis of a checklist of
performance related parameters. Inconsistencies between observations
and test-profile (point b.) will allow the classifiers to
identify athletes that need closer monitoring and can be protested.
This process may include review of initial documentation and
retest of sport-specific eligibility.
d. A research team
will assess the use of the test-battery (point c.) at the
upcoming 2009 INAS-FID Global Games in Liberec, Czech Republic,
in July 2009, and fine-tune the instrument afterwards.
e. As research data
will further be available, a sport-related weighting mechanism
for the different components of the test-battery will be considered
to set cut-off scores to define ‘minimal disability’
for future inclusion in events. The criteria may differ from
sport to sport.
2. The IPC GB approved
the inclusion of ID athletes participation in the upcoming
2009 IPC Swimming European Championships in Reykjavic, Iceland
and the 2009 Youth Asian Para Games in Tokyo, Japan (for IPC
Athletics and IPC Swimming) under the conditions set forth
under point 1. Participation in the test-battery is mandatory
requirement for event participation. Only athletes that fulfil
the criteria set forth under point 1.a-c will be included
in an ID Athlete classification master list per sport and
allocated ‘R’ (Review) status, and only results
from those athletes will be considered for rankings and records.
3. The IPC GB approved
the proposal to recognize the 2009 INAS-FID Global Games (Liberec,
Czech Republic, July 2009) in order to secure participation
of different nations where ID athletes resort under NPC Responsibility.
The above are interim
measures awaiting the final resolution on this matter by the
IPC General Assembly in November 2009.
Should you have
any questions, please contact Dr. Peter Van de Vliet, IPC
Medical & Scientific Director at peter.vandevliet@paralympic.org
<< BACK |
