History will soon be made in London, as athletes with an intellectual impairment are set to make their return to the Paralympic Games.

After a 12 year absence, it has been revealed that 120 athletes with an intellectual impairment have been selected by their National Paralympic Committees.

The impairment group is one of 10 recognised by the Paralympic Movement, but was removed from the Games programme in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 after it emerged that a number of athletes had competed within the class at the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games despite not having an intellectual impairment.

A system was needed that reliably determined an athletes’ eligibility to compete. After earlier efforts failed to find a satisfactory solution, a joint initiative between Inas (the International Federation for sport for para-athletes with an intellectual disability) and the IPC (International Paralympic Committee), backed by a number of universities and sports scientists around the world, was established.

After extensive scientific research and testing, and in close consultation and co-operation with the respective sport governing bodies, the IPC voted in 2009 to re-instate events in the London programme and the race has been on since to ensure that not only were eligibility systems ready in time for 2012, but that athletes worldwide were successfully re-integrated into Paralympic Sport to achieve qualification. Athletes will compete in Athletics, Swimming and Table Tennis.

Dr Bob Price, Inas President, said “I was frequently told that athletes with an intellectual impairment would never compete in another Paralympic Games. However, working together, Inas and the IPC backed by the dedication of the scientific community, together with the determination of athletes around the World means that participation in the London Games is not only about to be achieved, but will inspire nations across the World to do more to develop sport for people with an intellectual impairment and to begin looking ahead to Rio in 2016”.

Dr Price added “Though 120 athletes is relatively small, it is still comparable to the number of athletes who took part in these three sports in Sydney in 2000. This is a huge achievement for both Inas and the IPC”.

Michael Murray, 21, is one of the athletes selected. Murray was selected for the Games after qualifying in the 1500 meter run at the U.S. Paralympic Track and Field Trials recently held in Indianapolis. He has the additional honour of being the only track and field athlete with an intellectual impairment selected by the US team.  “I’m really excited, but trying to stay calm about going to London. I’ve been watching the Olympics while training over the past month in California. I think it’s not how you start, but how you finish, and everyone in our family knows limits are only a state of mind”.

Professor Jan Burns, Inas Head of Eligibility, added “To be eligible for selection, each athlete has undergone a strict ‘primary eligibility’ check (a review of IQ and other medical data to determine a diagnosis of intellectual impairment according to international standards) together with a sports-specific classification assessment (an evaluation to ensure that the disability has a significant limitation on their performance in sport)”.

The project team which developed this process recently won a 2012 Podium award for their contribution to scientific research.

The Games begin on 30^th August. Athletes will compete in Class T/F20 in Athletics, S14 in Swimming and Class 11 in Table Tennis.

With support from the British Psychological Society, Inas has developed a series of educational resources to help understanding of the process of athlete eligibility and classification.

These include:

• Paralympic Classification of Elite Athletes with Intellectual Disabilities– This short video will tell you the inspiring story of how athletes with intellectual disabilities have re-joined the Paralympics for London 2012. You will hear from athletes, the GB Head Coach, the GB Team Manager, the Chief Executive of the UK Sports Association and the Head of Eligibility for Inas as they discuss what is involved to become eligible to compete on this world stage, and the anticipated legacies of London 2012 for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
• Psychology and the Paralympics: This short film examines the role of the classifier for athletes with intellectual disabilities. Jennifer Maris is a trainee clinical psychologist and she recently volunteered to use her psychological skills to help the classification process for athletes with intellectual disabilities. Here she describes what this means, what’s involved and the exciting opportunities and challenges this has opened up for her.
• An Introduction to Eligibility and Classification – This presentation discusses the primary eligibility process and sports classification for athletes with an intellectual disability
• The Sports Classification Cognitive Test – This presentation talks in more detail about the computer tests used as part of the classification process
• Intellectual Disability – This briefing sheet discusses intellectual disability and some of the key organisations in the UK and worldwide

The resources can be found on the Eligibility page.

The 2012 Inas European Football Championships and Open European Athletics Championships are both underway in Gavle, Sweden.

You can follow the football results here.

Athletics results will be available as soon as possible.

Members of the research project which helped to secure the re-inclusion of athletes with an intellectual disability into the Paralympic Games are celebrating today after their programme triumphed at the first ever Podium Awards for London 2012 inspired projects.

The project fought off fierce competition from more than 230 nominated projects to win the gold medal in the RCUK Award for Exceptional Research Contribution in front of over 350 attendees and dignitaries including London 2012 organising committee (LOCOG) CEO, Paul Deighton and Xavier Gonzalez, Chief Executive of the International Paralympic Committee .

The black tie ceremony, held close to the Olympic stadium, was a one-off event to celebrate UK colleges and universities contribution to the Olympic and Paralympic Games and their legacy.  The projects recognised ranged from education, research and sport to culture, volunteering and international collaboration

The sports classification project was put forward by Professor Jan Burns of Canterbury Christchurch University who is also Head of Eligibility for Inas, and a member of the research project team. The research project, supported by Inas – the International Federation for Para-Athletes with an Intellectual Disability and IPC – the International Paralympic Committee, was a collaboration between a number of European and North American Universities. Its aim was to develop a method of classification – the process which measures an athlete’s impairment on sport performance – to enable athletes with a learning disability to compete in the Paralympic Games, beginning with London 2012.

Paul Deighton, CEO LOCOG said; “Colleges and Universities have played an integral role in supporting London 2012.  I congratulate all involved with the Sport Classification for Paralympic Athletes with intellectual disabilities project on winning a gold medal at the Podium Awards. This project is a tremendous example of how the power of the Games is being used to inspire people to make a real and lasting difference.”

On receiving the award, Xavier Gonzalez, IPC Chief Executive said “ I am very happy and proud to receive this award for the classification research, but more than anything I am happy that athletes with an intellectual disability are back in the Paralympics’.

Dr Bob Price added “This award recognises the huge commitment of the research team – all of whom worked on this project in a voluntary capacity – but it also recognises the huge contribution of the many athletes and Inas member organisations who supported the project and worked with us to put in place the procedures needed to secure Paralympic re-inclusion”.

Athletes with an intellectual disability will participate in the London Paralympic Games for the first time since Sydney 2000, and will compete in Athletics, Swimming and Table Tennis.