Registrations are now being accepted for the Australian Paralympic Committee’s Toyota Paralympic Talent Search at the Australian Institute of Sport on Sunday 19^th September.  The program aims to identify those who display the athletic potential to one day make it to Paralympic level competition and also to raise awareness of disability sport.  

Athletes with a physical, intellectual or vision impairment may be eligible for Paralympic sports. To find out further details of eligibility please visit the website http://www.paralympic.org.au/sports-and-classifications/wizard

For further details please see:

• Flyer for the Toyota Paralympic Talent Search
• Registration Form
• General Fact Sheet outlining the Toyota Paralympic Talent Search program.

ACT Swimming Expo

The date for the 2010 “Come and Try” swimming Expo for people with a disability will be held on the afternoon of Sunday October 24. Further details will be posted shortly.

Learn to Swim Opportunities

Swimming ACT offers a program “Swim Program for People with a Disabiity” for those who would like the opportunity to develop water safety skills as well as learning to swim.  The Swim Program for People with a Disability (SPPD) operates during school terms only from a number of pools throughout the ACT.

Private lessons (30 mins) are provided by our qualified Austswim instructors at the following pools:

          Civic Pool                        Saturday’s

          CISAC (Belconnen)         Sunday mornings

          Cranleigh School             Monday & Wednesday afternoons after school

          Turner School                 Tuesday & Wednesday afternoons after school

          Malkara School                Thursday afternoon after school

(Lessons at Malkara & Turner schools are only offered to those students who attend either Turner or Malkara Schools)

The cost is currently $153 per school term, and is payable on enrolment or re-enrolment for each term.  Pool entry fees ($2.50) for swimmers are also payable for the Civic Pool & CISAC, carers are free of charge.

To enrol in the Swim Program for People with a Disability, please complete the re-enrolment form 15 November 2010 

Within the Canberra region there are also a number of other swim schools offering swimming instruction who also cater for swimmers with disabilties.  Details of these swim schools are as follows:

Should you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact the Swimming ACT office on 62574837.

Australian Paralympic Committee, ACT Branch

The Australian Paralympic Committee is providing coaching in swimming for children aged between 8 and 10 years old with Physical Disability (Cerebral Palsy, Spinal injured, Amputees), Vision Impairments and achondroplasia, multiple sclerosis and arthrogryposis. To join the group, children have to be able to swim at least 25m freestyle, 25m backstroke and 25m breaststroke. 

The training sessions are conducted at the Macgregor swimming pool (Chalmers Place, Macgregor, ACT).

Sessions are held two times per week on Wednesday and Friday from 7am to 7.45am.

Cost: $45 per month

For assessment contact:

Yuriy Vdovychenko

Coordinator, Development Projects

Australian Paralympic Committee

Ph: 0401 435 376

Email: yuriy.vdovychenko@paralympic.org.au

Classification Information

Classification is a term used frequently when referring to Paralympic Sport. It forms the structure for all  Paralympic competition. Classification groups athletes with similar levels of functional ability into classes for equivalent competition.

Athletes who belong to six different disability groups can compete in Paralympic sports: amputees, cerebral palsy, vision impairment, spinal cord injuries, intellectual disability and a group which includes those that do not fit into the aforementioned groups (“les Autres”). These athletes have different impairments in the way their body structures and functions work, that leads to a competitive disadvantage in non-Paralympic sport.

All Paralympic sports have individual classification systems that have identified the key skill areas that are critical to performance of their particular sport. Classification is based on specific functional abilities as related to individual sporting performance.

Classification Process 

To determine an athlete’s classification for a sport, a group of officials, known as classifiers, assess the athlete to determine how their impairment influences their sport ability, regardless of their level of training or development.  The following components generally form the basis of the evaluation process.

Medical, Visual or Cognitive testing - An examination to ascertain the extent that the athlete’s impairment has on their potential function.

Demonstration of sport skills - The athlete demonstrates techniques used in their sport. For example athlete demonstrates dribbling and shooting skills for Wheelchair basketball; or stroke technique in Swimming.

Visual review during competition - The analysis of the athlete during competition.

Resources:

How Do I Become Classified?

APC Classification website

For further information, visit the Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) website

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 31 August 2010:

Multi Disability Sport Organisation Links

Australian Blind Sports Federation

Australian Paralympic Committee

The Association of Disability Sports, Cerebral Palsy Sports and Recreation Federation of Australia, Wheelchair Sports Australia

AUSRAPID

Deaf Sports Australia

Sport and Recreation Services ACT

Special Olympics ACT Region

Transplant Australia - ACT

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