The Paralympics and the Special Olympics are distinct events that are often confused

Geoff Cook

The Paralympics and the Special Olympics are distinct events that are often confused because they focus on athletes with disabilities.

• Paralympics: Held after the Olympics, the Paralympics feature athletes with physical disabilities or visual impairments who compete at an elite level. Athletes are classified based on their disabilities.
• Special Olympics: This organization focuses on athletes with intellectual disabilities and offers year-round sports training and competitions. It emphasizes participation, inclusion, and personal achievement rather than elite competition.

Both events celebrate their athletes' abilities but cater to different types of disabilities and competition levels. You can watch the video here. https://www.instagram.com/p/C-pXAUptDpP/?hl=en

Ali Ingersoll

Thanks for this clarification Geoff. I do believe people who are not familiar with the disability community often get confused between the distinction.

Michael Nique

Thanks Geoff for this clarification and I have to say I wasn't aware of it. I also recently came across that campaign from the International Paralympic Committee to challenge the narrative in some media to cover the games https://www.paralympic.org/paris-2024/news/paralympians-not-participating-paris-2024-paralympics

"Paralympians aren’t playing games at Paris 2024. They’re here to compete, not just participate."