Most athletes compete against those with similar disabilities

Categorization of athletes differs from sport to sport, in accordance with the different skills required to perform the event.

But there are just six definitions of disability which are recognised by the organisers of disabled sport.

Amputee

This includes athletes who have at least one major joint in a limb missing, for example the elbow, wrist, knee or ankle.

Some amputees compete as wheelchair athletes depending on the sport.

Cerebral palsy

This is a disorder of movement and posture due to damage to an area, or areas, of the brain that control and coordinate muscle tone, reflexes, posture and movement.

Cerebral means brain-centred and palsy is a lack of muscle control.

Intellectual disability

A person with an intellectual disability must have functioning limitations in two or more skill areas.

These are communication, self-care, home living, social skills, community use, self-direction, health and safety, functional academics, leisure and work.

Competitors must also have acquired their condition before age 18.

At the moment elite athletes with intellectual disabilities are only allowed to compete at the Paralympic Games in exhibition events.

Wheelchair

Generally athletes compete in this category if they have at least a 10% loss of function in their lower limbs.

Common conditions include traumatic paraplegia and quadriplegia, spina bifida, poliomyelitis, amputees, cerebral palsy and all non ambulant les autres athletes.

Vision impaired

Athletes come under this classification if they have any condition which interferes with 'normal' vision.

This incorporates the entire range of vision difficulties from correctable conditions through to total blindness.

Les Autres

This French term for 'the others' is used to describe athletes with a range of conditions, such as dwarfism, that don't fit into the traditional classification systems of the established disability groups.

Within these six disability categories athletes are then grouped according to their differing level of impairment.

A-Z of classification

Click on the link on the right to find out the specific classifications for each sport.