Pakistan Journal of Special Education (PJSE) Vol. 10, 2009 ISSN No. © Department of Special Education, University of Karachi 1818-2860 AN INTRODUCTION TO GLOBAL SPORTS ACTIVITIES FOR DISABLED INDIVIDUALS ABDUL KARIM MUGHAL Assistant Professor & Principal Government College of Physical Education, Karachi Abstract Physical activities in the civilization have been a part of an individual’s daily life and it may be remember a that various types of disabilities in human are recoded in the history due to the congenital or accidental causes. They are labeled indicated on the basis of their type like exceptional, adopted, mental retardation, hearing impairment, visual handicap, physical handicap. After the stabilization of world unity “Human rights” is only way to finish the discrimination among the humans of the world and the United Nations Organization (UNO) is commented to follow the human rights charter. In this connection international federations and other sports promotional organizations are engaged to facilitate disabled people of the world with organized sports in the six disability category and a verity of sports discipline under the classification system, 400 athletes of the 23 countries. The same games were held at Beijing in China in 2008 with the participation of 3951 athletes of 146 countries of the world were awarded to 472 medals, 262 men and 176 women participant in the game held in 1960 for disabled people are introduced hosted by Italy at Rome. Introduction of Disabilities Disability is a condition which does not allow an individual to perform his/ her all usual physical or mental functions. This usually means a permanent state, like blindness, but in some cases is temporary. In recent times society and the law have dictated that people with disabilities should be accommodated and encouraged to operate to their maximum potential and have the right to participate in societal and governmental activity without impediments. Sports, Games and other physical and recreation activities are used as social act among the human. Participation in these activities is a right of every man and women without any discrimination that he or she is disabled or not. PJSE – 2009 The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) “a disabled person is someone who has a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.”The DDA definition is an inclusive definition that tends to capture both the largest and broadest estimate of people with disabilities. It describes a disability as a condition which limits a person’s ability to function in major life activities – including communication, walking, and self-care – and which is likely to continue indefinitely, resulting in the need for supportive services. The United Nations defines disability as “Any restriction or lacking within the range considered normal for a human being”. The United States Census Bureau also uses a broad definition of disability. Starting with the DDA definitions, the Census Bureau then expands its definition to identify people 16 years old and over as having disability if they meet criteria given by the UN. According to the World Health Organization, in the context of health experience, between impairment, disability and handicap:” Any restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being. Disabled people do not form a homogeneous group. For example, the mentally ill and the mentally retarded, the visually, hearing and speech impaired and those with restricted mobility or with so-called ''medical disabilities'' all encounter different barriers, of different kinds, which are handle in different ways. Historical Background In primitive era disabled persons of the community had no facilities of participation in sports and other physical activities like toady. A well known Greek physician and medical author Clodius Galon (130-200 AD) for the first time for used exercise as tool of treatment for the rehabilitation of handicapped (1). In the Dark Ages, a person different in behavior or appearance was thought to be witch or possessed of the devil and were handed over to the religious doctrine. The product continued up-to the period of renascence. In the middle ages a desire for social reform brought multitudes of movement to improve life. Reforms for peace, prisons, the poor, temperance, insanity and many other social and moral problems were organized in first decade of the 19th century. However, the main impact for aiding the physically handicapped did not occur until early 20th century.(2) Sports club for deaf established in Berlin in 1888 (3). 2 An Introduction to Global Sports Activities for Disabled Individuals After World War I, physiotherapy and sports medicine became as important as orthopedic and internal surgery. Sport for people with a physical disability was introduced after World War II, to assist the medical and psychological needs of the large number of injured ex-servicemen, -women and civilians. In researching new methods to minimize the consequences of their immobility, it provided a new and great possibility for reviving the idea of sport as a means of treatment and rehabilitation. Dr. Ludwig Guttmann, created the idea of the “Stock Mandeville Games” which was first staged in 1948 with the involving veterans of World War II heaving a spinal cord injury in Stoke Mandeville, England (3), competition for wheelchair athletic were listed on program of the games. An international movement was born with the participation of Netherlands in the competition held in 1952. Rehabilitation sport evolved rather quickly to recreational sport and the next step to competitive sport was only a matter of some years.The global Special Olympics movement started on 20 July 1968, when the First International Special Olympics Games were held at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois, USA. But the concept of Special Olympics was born much earlier, when Eunice Kennedy Shriver organized a day camp for people with intellectual disabilities at her home in 1962. From the late 1980s, organizations began to include athletes with disabilities in sporting events such as the Olympic Games. However, many sports are practiced by persons with a disability outside the formal sports movements, for example: Wheelchair basketball, Wheelchair dancing, Weightlifting, Swimming, and many other sporting activities. United Nations and Global Sports According to the UN World Program of Action Concerning Disabled Persons (ACDP), a proposal for the implementation of recreation and sports considered was the importance and the need of the time for the rights of disabled persons. United Nations declared that Member states should ensure that disabled persons have the same opportunities for recreational activities as other citizens. This involves the possibility of using restaurants, cinemas, theatres, libraries, etc., as well as holiday resorts, sports arenas, hotels, beaches and other places for recreation. Tourist authorities, travel agencies, hotels, voluntary organizations and others involved in organizing recreational activities or travel opportunities should offer their services to all and not discriminate against disabled persons. This involves, for instance, incorporating information on accessibility into their regular information to the public sports. The importance of sports for disabled persons has becoming increasingly recognized. Member States should therefore encourage all forms of sports activities of disabled persons, inter alias through the provision of adequate facilities and the proper organization of these activities. 3 PJSE – 2009 The annual observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3rd December, targeted to promotion of understanding of disability issues, the rights of persons with disabilities and gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of the political, social, economic and cultural life of their communities. The Day was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1982. Categories of Disability in Sports Include amputee, cerebral palsy intellectual disabilities, wheel Chan, Visually Impaired & les Autres. These disability categories are recognized and apply to both summer and winter Paralympics. Within these six disability categories the athletes compete in the variety of the games according to their differing level of impairment. 1. Amputee: Athletes with a partial or total loss of at least one limb. 2. Cerebral Palsy: Athletes with non-progressive brain damage, for example cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke or similar disabilities affecting muscle control, balance or coordination. 3. Intellectual Disability: Athletes with a significant impairment in intellectual functioning and associated limitations in adaptive behavior. (This category is currently suspended). 4. Wheelchair: Athletes with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities which require them to compete in a wheelchair. 5. Visually Impaired: Athletes with vision impairment ranging from partial visual, sufficient to be judged legally blind, to total blindness. 6. Les Autres: Athletes with a physical disability that does not fall strictly under one of the other five categories, such as dwarfism, multiple sclerosis or congenital deformities of the limbs such as that caused by thalidomide. The name for this category is in French meaning others. International