Registration opens for World Intellectual Impairment Sport Eligibility Conference

Delegates can now register for the third International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) Eligibility Conference being held in Paris, France, from 18-19 July.

Aimed at National Eligibility Officers (NEOs) but open to anyone with an interest in the area, the conference coincides with the 2018 World Intellectual Impairment Sport European Summer Games.

Professor Jan Burns MBE, World Intellectual Impairment Sport Head of Eligibility, encouraged members to get involved:

“As part of our strategic goal to develop a gold standard for athlete eligibility, we are planning what we hope will be a useful and insightful programme for the conference. We believe it is a great chance to share best practice and help to build a stronger system in the future.

“By inviting all NEOs and anyone else who has an interest, we are aiming to build on the two previous editions. These helped deliver real improvements because we were able to deliver education face-to-face, and openly discuss the challenges and benefits experienced at a national level.

“I am looking forward to welcoming delegates to Paris in July for yet another great World Intellectual Impairment Sport Eligibility Conference.”

The programme will include:

– An update on eligibility from World Intellectual Impairment Sport Executive Director Nick Parr

– A session on the latest research findings in the trial eligibility groups. These are II2 (for athletes with a more significant impairment) and II3 (for athletes with autism)

– A presentation from KU Leuven University, Belgium, on classification research

– Information about the Intellectual Disability and Equal Opportunities for Active and Long-term Participation in Sport (IDEAL) project being run in Europe

– A workshop on eligibility and a question and answer session

Registration closes on 20 June.

The 2018 World Intellectual Impairment Sport European Summer Games are being organised by World Intellectual Impairment Sport Europe and will feature eight sports between 14-22 July.

Cycling and tennis is open to athletes outside of the region. Those competitions will act as the World Championships for those sports in 2018.

About eligibility

To be considered eligible to compete, athletes must meet the eligibility criteria as defined by World Intellectual Impairment Sport. These are based upon the World Health Organisation and American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) research and guidance.

Eligibility is applied for through the World Intellectual Impairment Sport member in a country. All World Intellectual Impairment Sport members have an NEO whose job it is to provide World Intellectual Impairment Sport with evidence of the athlete’s impairment.