Boccia, wheelchair basketball, para-canoe, para-karate, deaf badminton: more than 40 sports are featured in the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. Since the 1970s, the number of participants in disability sports federations has increased fifteenfold. At the same time, technologies for disabilities have advanced significantly. How is the enthusiasm for disability sports connected to innovations in assistive technologies? What are the broader impacts of disability sports on inclusion?
The origins of para sports
In the 1940s, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann, a German neurosurgeon, took refuge in the United Kingdom and began working at the National Spinal Injuries Centre in Stoke Mandeville. There, he primarily treated soldiers with spinal cord injuries who used wheelchairs.
Convinced of the physical, psychological, and social benefits of movement for people with paraplegia, he pioneered modern rehabilitation medicine by prescribing adapted activities. He particularly recommended badminton, table tennis, athletics, and archery, making sports the foundation of this new discipline.
In 1948, taking advantage of the London Olympics, he experimented with a sports competition among his patients during the “Stoke Mandeville Games”. This modest event brought together only a handful of participants, but the publicity was a success. Over the following years, more editions were organized, drawing an increasing number of athletes from different countries. By the 1960s, these games were officially recognized as the Paralympic Games.
A visionary physician, Dr. Guttmann helped revolutionize perceptions of disability by proving that reduced mobility does not prevent individuals from moving, excelling, and pushing the boundaries of their physical abilities.
“It was not only about saving the lives of these men, women, and children with paraplegia and tetraplegia, but also about restoring their dignity and making them happy and respected citizens” – Dr. Guttmann
Para sports: a catalyst for technological advances in mobility
With the growing popularity of para sports, manufacturers are innovating to develop assistive devices that are more efficient and better adapted. These advancements subsequently benefit all individuals with disabilities.
“Just as the 24 Hours of Le Mans or Formula 1 have led to the introduction of ABS and numerous technical, electronic, and technological improvements in everyday cars, research aimed at enhancing the performance of high-level para athletes eventually serves the daily needs of everyone with a disability” explains Dominique Fillonneau, an orthotist, in an article for Handisport le Mag.
Lighter and stronger materials
Since the 1970s, the weight of wheelchairs designed for sports has been reduced by more than half, dropping from around 18 kg to just 7 kg, primarily thanks to the use of lighter materials such as aluminum and titanium. For wheelchair athletes, this reduction in weight enables quicker movements and faster changes in direction, which are significant advantages in sports like wheelchair basketball and athletics.
In wheelchair rugby, titanium is ideal for the frames, as they are highly exposed to repeated impacts. Similarly, carbon-fiber running blades have revolutionized leg prosthetics, allowing amputees to compete in running events and even rival the speed of non-amputee athletes.
Enhanced maneuverability
“I believe 50% of my victory is due to the use of Dreeft wheels. This technical innovation significantly helped me achieve this result,” said athlete Yunier Fernandez after winning the gold medal in para table tennis at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
The Dreeft wheels were provided to the athlete by Toyota Motor Europe, the official Paralympic sponsor and partner of the French manufacturer EPPUR. The start-up explained: “The braking system of the Dreeft wheels allowed Yunier Fernandez to approach the table more quickly and dynamically while maintaining precise control over his movements thanks to progressive braking. This enabled him to lunge forward, stop instantly, and position himself exactly where needed, optimizing his movements during exchanges.”
Greater customization options
3D scanning and printing, as well as computer-assisted molding, have revolutionized the design of assistive devices. These advanced technologies enable the creation of customized solutions tailored to the user’s morphology and the specific demands of their sport.
Swiss athlete Flurina Rigling benefited from 3D-printed shoes for the cycling events at Paris 2024. “This innovation helps me tremendously. Imagine: before, I only had a single leather shoe. Once it got wet, I had to let it dry first. Now, 3D-printed shoes are produced relatively quickly and are much lighter than the old ones. It makes a huge difference for me,” she explained.
A movement changing the game on disability
Technological advancements in para sports are driving a broader shift in how society perceives disability. As tools for inclusion, these innovations show that everyone, regardless of mobility, can access activities that bring them fulfillment, provided they have the right support.
The Paralympic Games are among the rare times when disability receives extensive visibility on television screens and in the media. The term “situation of disability” reflects the understanding that disability is tied to circumstances rather than being an inherent characteristic of the individual. In other words, it’s not the person who is “disabled,” but rather society and infrastructure that fail to adapt adequately for inclusion.
Paralympic athletes compete with assistive technologies or human support tailored to their needs, on fields designed for their sports. In this context, they are simply athletes, defined by their performance and skills.
This sentiment is echoed by visually impaired triathlete Jessica Tuomela, who said: “In general, sport is the one area where I have always felt like an athlete and judged for my abilities rather than my disabilities.”
Other resources on the topic of technology and para sports: