CBSE Class 12 Physical Education Physical Education and Sports For CWSN Notes Set 01

Physical Education & Sports for CWSN

Organisations Promoting Disability/Adaptive Sports

For the promotion and organisation of adaptive sports, many different competitions are held. Some of them are Special Olympics, Paralympics, Deaflympics etc. These competitions provide a good platform for individuals with disabilities to participate.

Special Olympics

The idea of Special Olmypics initiated by Eunice Mary Kennedy Shriver. She believed that with equal opportunities and experience as everyone else, people with intellectual disabilities could compete far more than ever thought possible. The first Special Olympic games were held in Chicago in July, 1968.

The US Olympics Committee gave the Special Olympics an official approval to use the name ‘Olympics’ in 1971, The United Nations declared 1986 as the year of Special Olympics. The Special Olympics were officially organised in 1988 by International Olympics Committee.

Special Olympics Logo
The logo of Special Olympics is based on the sculpture ‘Joy and Happiness to all Children of the World’.

Years and Venues of Special Olympics

Sports and Games in Special Olympics

In Special Olympics, the games and sports included are

• Skiing : Alpine and Cross-country
• Swimming : Pool and Open Water
• Gymnastics : Artistic and Rhythmic
• Speed Skating; Short Track
• Handball
• Netball
• Equestrian
• Athletics (Track and Field)
• Softball
• Judo
• Figure Skating
• Powerlifting
• Basketball
• Floor Hockey
• Table Tennis
• Football (Soccer)
• Tennis
• Golf
• Triathlon
• Cycling
• Snowshoe, Running
• Badminton
• Floorball
• Kayaking
• Bocce
• Roller Skating
• Bowling
• Sailing
• Cricket
• Snowboarding
• Volleyball

Paralympics

The Paralympic games are major international multi-sports event involving athletes with various disabilities such as impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of movement, limb deficiency, leg-length difference short stature, hypertonia, ataxia, athetosis, visual and intellectual impairment, blindness, etc.

The originator of the Paralympic Games is Sir Ludwig Guttmann. The first Paralympic games were organised in Rome in 1960. The word Paralympic was officially used in 1988.

The word Paralympic is derived from the Greek Preposition ‘Para’ means besides or alongside and the word ‘Olympic’. It signifies that Paralympics are the parallel games to the Olympics.

International Paralympic Committee (IPC)

The International Paralympic Committee is the global governing body of the Paralympic movement. Its purpose is to organise the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. It was formed on 22nd September, 1989 in Dusseldorf. Its headquarter is located in Bonn, Germany.

The aim of IPC is to promote paralympic values and to create sport opportunities for all persons with a disability, from beginner to elite level.

Paralympic Motto

The Paralympic motto is ‘Spirit in Motion’. The motto was introduced in 2004 at the Paralympic Games, Athenes. It’s earlier motto was ‘Mind, Body and Spirit’, which was introduced in 1994.

Minimum Disability Criteria

Each sport’s Paralympic classification rules describe how severe an eligible impairment must be for an athlete to be considered eligible. These criteria are referred to as minimum disability criteria.

Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games starts with the hoisting of the host country’s flag and rendition of its national anthem. Thereafter, the athletes come for march past into the stadium grouped according to their country. All the countries enter the stadium alphabetically according to the host country’s chosen language. But, the athletes of the host country enter last into the stadium.

Awards

The medals are presented to the winners as awards after every Paralympic event. The competitors or teams that secure first, second and third position stand-up at the victory podium and are awarded with the medals.

Then, the tune of the national song of the gold medalist’s country is played and the national flags of three countries are unfurled and hoisted.

Closing Ceremony

The closing ceremony begin after all sport events finishes. Flag bearers from each participating country enter the stadium followed by athletes who enter together without any national distinction. The Paralympic flag is taken down. The games are officially closed and the paralympics flame is extinguished.

Paralympic Sports

The Summer Paralympics consists of 22 sports, while the Winter Paralympics consists of 6.
The list of Summer Paralympics (Sports) are as follows

• Athletics
• Bocce
• Archery
• Wheelchair Tennis
• Shooting
• Equestrian
• Wheelchair Rugby
• Football 5-a-side
• Goalball
• Table Tennis
• Wheelchair Basketball
• Para Triathlon
• Para Taekwondo
• Rowing
• Cycling
• Sitting Volleyball
• Powerlifting
• Swimming
• Wheelchair Fencing
• Para Canoe
• Judo
• Para Badminton

Paralympic Games Logo

Deaflympics

Deaflympics is an international Olympic event at which deaf athletes compete. Unlike other paralympic events, deaf athletes cannot be guided by sounds like referee whistle, gunshot etc. Therefore, special arrangements are made for the deaf athletes at Deaflympics such as waving a flag, using light instead of gunshots etc.

The Deaflympics are more than just the world’s second oldest multiple sports after olympics. These games are the world’s fastest growing sports events.

The Deaflympics are an equivalent to the Olympic games for deaf athletes. These games have been organised by the International Committee of sports for deaf since the first event.

The first of such games were held in Paris in 1924. Since then, these games have been held regularly after every four years. The Deaflympics Winter Games were started in 1949.

Deaflympics Logo

The Motto of Deaflympics is ‘Per Ludos Aequalitas’ meaning ‘Equality through sports’. It’s logo is inspired by the sign for Olympics. The circle in the middle represents an eye because deaf people are very visual.

The four colours of the logo i.e. red, green, yellow and blue represent the four regional confederations of the International Committee of Sports for Deaf viz. Europe, Asia Pacific, Pan-America and Africa.

Year and Venue of Winter Deaflympics

Advantage of Physical Activity for Children With Special Needs

Physical Activity

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, USA, physical activity generally refers to movement that enhances health.

It means the movement of the body that uses energy. Walking, running, dancing, swimming, yoga and gardening are a few examples of physical activity. For health benefits, physical activity should be of moderate or vigorous intensity.

Exercise is a type of physical activity that's planned and structured. Lifting weights, participating in an aerobics class and playing on a sports team are examples of exercise.

Advantage of Physical Activity for Children with Special Needs

Regular physical activity is good for everyone but it's particularly important for children with special needs. It is most important for their growth and development. There are a number of advantages of physical activities for such persons. These are as follows

• It strengthens the heart muscle, thereby improving cardiovascular efficiency, lung efficiency and exercise endurance. This helps in controlling repetitive behaviour among disabled children.
• Besides improving fitness, physical activity develops social relationships with other children, teammates and teachers. This brings positive changes in the social behaviour of these children.
• It helps to improve energy level in the body. Regular physical activity often makes children more energetic and allows them to become active.
• It regulates blood pressure, cholesterol level and diabetes. Physical activity also reduces stress level.
• It helps to control weight. Children with disabilities are normally not physically active or may have a deficit of calories, which takes fat away and lowers weight. Regular exercises help in regulating weight.
• Physical activities help in improving muscle strength, coordination and flexibility among disabled children.
• It also improves motor skills, brings better balance and body awareness which is lacking in these children.
• Physical exercise finds an outlet to channelise the physical energy which helps these children to cope with stress, anxiety and depression.
• Physical activity enhances the metabolism of brain in the children. It leads to cognitive improvement in children with special needs, allowing them to acquire new skills, learn new things and focus on specific goals.
• Physical activity decreases anxiety, reduces depression, and improves mood and outlook in children. In addition, their quality of sleep is improved.

Strategies to Make Physical Activities Accessible for Children with Special Needs

The various strategies or ways by which physical activities can be made accessible to children with special needs are as follows

• (i) Inclusive Classrooms It means development of educational laws in such a way that children with special needs get education within the normal classrooms along with other children so that they are well accepted in society.
• (ii) Assistive Technology It refers to creating devices, tools or equipment that help children with special needs to participate in learning activities such as bigger balls, balls with bells, balls attached to strings to bring it back to the students, etc.
• (iii) Adaptive Physical Education Depending on student's disability, a separate, adaptive class or modifications within a game, or changing the rules of the game or sport to some extent, can help the students in a big way.
• (iv) Creating Specific Environment Students with special needs can be provided with specific play area with special requirements as needed by them. Loud music, glaring lights often cannot be tolerated by these children, so a lot of natural lighting should be there.
• (v) Positive Behaviour In physical education classes, teachers should show positive behaviour and healthy interactions and prevent negative behaviours. The method is to "Prevent, Teach, Reinforce". This means class material taught through positive interactions, lesson reinforced by referring back to behavioural expectations and evaluating progress.
• (vi) Focus on Creative Games Instead of competitive games and physical activities, the strategy is to develop creative games. This helps in team building and cooperation and prevents unnecessary competition and boosts the confidence of these children.
• (vii) Accommodations and Modification Since the individual needs of the children with special needs are different, it is essential for the teachers to modify the teaching strategies in order to accommodate the children with disabilities. Therefore constant modification and accommodation is required.
• (viii) Professional Courses Developing more professional courses and teacher certification programs for teaching physical education to children with special needs is essential to popularise the adaptive physical education programme.