tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/disability-sports-109634/articlesDisability sports – The Conversation2021-10-14T08:12:37Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1669322021-10-14T08:12:37Z2021-10-14T08:12:37ZDisabled children still face exclusion in PE – here’s what needs to change<p>Children between the ages of five and 18 should do a minimum of <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/physical-activity-guidelines-uk-chief-medical-officers-report">60 minutes of exercise a day</a> across the week, according to UK government recommendations. And physical education (PE) is, of course, one of the main ways in which both primary and secondary schools meet these guidelines. </p>
<p>As disabled children are more likely to be <a href="https://bmcsportsscimedrehabil.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13102-015-0016-7">sedentary</a>, it’s particularly important that they can take part in school exercise. Surveys <a href="https://www.sportanddev.org/sites/default/files/downloads/efds_active_together_report.pdf">have also shown</a> that most disabled children would like to be able to take part in PE more often. Yet our <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09687599.2021.1907551">latest research</a>, assisted by recently retired academic and former Paralympic athlete <a href="https://www.paralympic.org/stuart-braye">Dr Stuart Braye</a>, shows that disabled children attending mainstream schools still experience many difficulties in joining in with PE lessons.</p>
<p>At the first world conference on <a href="https://www.european-agency.org/sites/default/files/salamanca-statement-and-framework.pdf">special needs education</a> held in Spain, in 1994, representatives of 92 countries declared that <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17408989.2019.1571183">inclusive education was the right</a> of all children. It should be the norm in all schools, they said. </p>
<p>Nearly three decades on, however, <a href="https://www.allfie.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/AccessibityPlans-report-EMBARGOED.pdf">personal accounts</a> of <a href="https://theconversation.com/schools-are-failing-pupils-with-special-needs-despite-best-efforts-of-dedicated-staff-123400">social isolation</a> and non-inclusive mainstream education show that school, for many children with disabilities, is anything but inclusive. </p>
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<img alt="Primary school children climb on gymnastics equipment" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426175/original/file-20211013-27-17kerq8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426175/original/file-20211013-27-17kerq8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426175/original/file-20211013-27-17kerq8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426175/original/file-20211013-27-17kerq8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426175/original/file-20211013-27-17kerq8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426175/original/file-20211013-27-17kerq8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426175/original/file-20211013-27-17kerq8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Ensuring that classes and equipment both are adaptable to varying degrees of physical disability is crucial.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/fr/image-photo/school-children-climbing-gymnasium-equipment-216579763">Air Images | Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>Inclusive PE</h2>
<p>This is especially true for PE. In 2015, <a href="https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000235409">UNESCO</a> called for all educational establishments to ensure that inclusive, adaptive and safe opportunities to participate in PE be provided for disabled children. Yet despite advances in disability equality legislation both <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/RightsOfDisabledPersons.aspx">on a global level</a> and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance">in the UK</a> specifically, this has long <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1034912X.2018.1435852">not been the case</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/1034912X.2018.1435852">Research</a> has consistently shown that disabled children experience a less-than-welcoming attitude in mainstream school PE. They don’t have access to the right equipment, they feel marginalised and excluded by both non-disabled peers and teachers. Crucially, PE teachers are not adequately trained to support their needs.</p>
<h2>Inadequate teacher training</h2>
<p>Studies also show that PE teachers feel <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17408980802400502">under prepared</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1356336X11413183">ill-equipped</a> to include disabled children in PE lessons. In our <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09687599.2021.1907551">recent study</a>, for which we interviewed families of disabled children, PE teachers and teacher training providers, we found evidence that initial teacher training (ITT) programmes are inadequate. </p>
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<img alt="A paralympic blade runner on an athletics track" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426194/original/file-20211013-21-cbpikk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426194/original/file-20211013-21-cbpikk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426194/original/file-20211013-21-cbpikk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426194/original/file-20211013-21-cbpikk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426194/original/file-20211013-21-cbpikk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426194/original/file-20211013-21-cbpikk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426194/original/file-20211013-21-cbpikk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The growing popularity of paralympic sports has not translated into daily support for children with disabilities to access PE.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/fr/image-photo/explosive-start-athlete-handicap-stadium-288632147">sportpoint</a></span>
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<p>One of the main reasons for this is that the once popular four-year bachelor of education courses have for many been replaced by one-year ITT courses. As a result, the inclusion of disabled children is only covered superficially. </p>
<p>PE teaching professionals also revealed that ITT provision interprets the term “inclusion” in the broadest possible sense. This means that disability becomes one among many equality issues to be covered as part of a full curriculum.</p>
<p>Our respondents said that the opportunity to work with disabled children during training is essential. Doing a placement within a school that caters to disabled pupils, particularly a <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-british-government-is-failing-pupils-with-special-needs-heres-how-to-change-that-118143">special-needs school</a>, would give student teachers the chance to build competence and confidence to develop appropriate inclusion strategies. Instead, our respondents said, many ITT work placements do not introduce trainee teachers to disabled children at all.</p>
<p>More input from disabled people into PE teacher training would also be beneficial. None of the participants in our study had ever heard of a disabled PE teacher. Indeed, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/09687599.2020.1867074">research shows</a> only 0.5% of the teaching workforce reports having disabilities. </p>
<p>Yet none of our study participants could think of any reason why a disabled person could not complete a PE teacher training qualification and practice as a PE teacher. Perhaps this is what it would take to ensure inclusive education, and inclusive PE, becomes a reality for all children with disabilities.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/166932/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Inclusive education has been promoted since the 1970s. But research shows children with disabilities are still excluded from school activities and sports in particularTom Gibbons, Senior Lecturer in Sport & Exercise, Teesside UniversityKevin Dixon, Senior Lecturer, Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Northumbria University, NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1670132021-09-06T12:04:48Z2021-09-06T12:04:48ZAfter the Paralympics: New initiative to get more Canadians involved in power wheelchair sports<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/419167/original/file-20210902-19-1l3h8my.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C7590%2C5056&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Malaysia's Chew Wei Lun plays a shot during a gold medal Boccia match at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. Boccia is only one of three summer Paralympic sports where athletes can compete while using a powerchair.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Tokyo Paralympic Games gave fans the opportunity to witness <a href="https://paralympic.ca/tokyo-2020/results/medal-table">incredible athletic achievements</a> by Canadian Paralympians. However, within the parasport community itself, inclusivity and access is a real issue, especially for those who don’t fit the mould of how some think an athlete “should” look or move.</p>
<p>The International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) vision is to foster a more inclusive world through parasport. This is primarily supported through <a href="https://www.paralympic.org/sites/default/files/document/190704145051100_2019_07+IPC+Strategic+Plan_web.pdf">its strategic goal</a> of promoting the Paralympic movement at all levels by encouraging participation in parasports, especially for athletes with high support needs. </p>
<p>But some of these athletes, those who use powerchairs — wheelchairs propelled by electric motors — to play sports, including boccia, powerchair soccer and powerchair hockey, are underrepresented in the Paralympics, and in parasport more broadly. Canada needs to create community-based sport programming for athletes with disabilities, especially those who use powerchairs to train and compete.</p>
<h2>Athletes with high support needs</h2>
<p>Athletes with <a href="https://www.paralympic.org/news/athletes-high-support-needs-get-touch">high support needs</a> can have a variety of physical, vision and intellectual impairments that require additional support at competitions. Support may involve directly assisting athletes during competition, or with everyday living needs. For example, an athlete with limited hand function may need assistance to load a pistol in a shooting event or get dressed for the day. They may also have a greater degree of physical impairment (such as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy) and use powerchairs.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.routledge.com/Communication-Sport-and-Disability-The-Case-of-Power-Soccer/Jeffress/p/book/9781138053588">Powerchair sports</a> are played by people with a physical disability who use power wheelchairs. Powerchairs make sport accessible to athletes with greater physical disability and eliminate performance differences usually associated with gender and age. </p>
<p>Because of this, powerchair sports are considered some of the most inclusive sports because they allow athletes of diverse abilities, ages and genders to compete together on one team. Because the use of powerchairs minimizes the impact of impairment on competition, athletes who use a powerchair to compete succeed largely as a result of their sporting ability.</p>
<h2>Under-representation</h2>
<p>Despite being capable of <a href="http://powerchairhockey.org/canada-and-usa-1-goal-2-countries/">high-performance international sport competition</a>, athletes with high support needs who use powerchairs are underrepresented. For instance, only about five per cent of the Canadian Paralympic Team are daily powerchair users. Of the 22 sports included in the current summer Paralympics, only boccia, archery and shooting feature athletes who use powerchairs while competing. </p>
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<img alt="Wheelchair para-archery athletes pulling the string back on their bows" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/419175/original/file-20210902-26-vq8vow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/419175/original/file-20210902-26-vq8vow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/419175/original/file-20210902-26-vq8vow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/419175/original/file-20210902-26-vq8vow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/419175/original/file-20210902-26-vq8vow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/419175/original/file-20210902-26-vq8vow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/419175/original/file-20210902-26-vq8vow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Emma Rose Ravish, center, of the U.S. competes in the women’s individual recurve-open ranking round of the archery event at the Tokyo Paralympic Games.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)</span></span>
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<p>Unsurprisingly, the limited opportunities for powerchair-using athletes at the elite level also trickle down to the recreational level. This brings into question whether the IPC will be able to meet its strategic goal, especially when considering the influence of commercial interests. </p>
<p>Scheduled live coverage of the Tokyo Paralympics in Canadian television broadcasts didn’t include boccia, leading to missed opportunities for audiences to appreciate the athleticism of these competitors. (All sports with live feeds <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/player/sports/paralympics/boccia">are available</a> to be live-streamed or viewed on-demand.)</p>
<h2>Marketability and media exposure</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1123/ssj.30.1.24">Previous research</a> suggests athletes with high support needs receive less media coverage because their performances are not considered “esthetically pleasing.” These perceptions also affect audience recognition of the performances as being elite or high-level.</p>
<p>Assigning value to parasport performances based on marketability perpetuates a lack of inclusion. It also affects the amount of exposure certain parasports get, which in turn limits access to financial resources. </p>
<p>If the media provided greater exposure to athletes with high support needs, it could broaden the general public’s perceptions of what elite sport performance looks like. It could also result in more parasports gaining access to the social and economic capital needed to grow their sport and develop athletes.</p>
<p>Corporate sponsors and the media can minimize concerns that it’s risky to push parasports that feature athletes with high support needs. The IPC could embrace more sports that include athletes who use powerchairs, by wielding financial and social influence to spotlight athlete accomplishments.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/paralympians-still-dont-get-the-kind-of-media-attention-they-deserve-as-elite-athletes-166879">Paralympians still don’t get the kind of media attention they deserve as elite athletes</a>
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<h2>Changing perceptions of elite athletes</h2>
<p>We need to reimagine our perception of athletes beyond the mainstream understanding of sports. Highlighting the talent of athletes who compete using powerchairs may challenge the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2017.1421174">societal prejudices</a> that contribute to the marginalization of people with complex disabilities.</p>
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<img alt="An athlete in a powered wheelchair leans forward to hit a ball with a hockey stick" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420092/original/file-20210908-17-zh7ccs.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420092/original/file-20210908-17-zh7ccs.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420092/original/file-20210908-17-zh7ccs.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420092/original/file-20210908-17-zh7ccs.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420092/original/file-20210908-17-zh7ccs.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420092/original/file-20210908-17-zh7ccs.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420092/original/file-20210908-17-zh7ccs.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">As the Calgary Selects take on the Michigan Mustangs at the 2019 PowerHockey Canada Cup in Toronto, Mustangs forward Jordan Zmich evades veteran Selects forward Nathan Grossklaus.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(PowerHockey Canada/GTA Sports Photography)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<p>Participation in sport offers physical, social and psychological <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2021.101164">benefits</a> for children, youth and adults with disability. Yet powerchair sport is not widely available in Canada, and research to inform program development is lacking. Tailored powerchair sport programming is sorely needed <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2020.1767220">to create opportunities</a> for quality participation among high support needs athletes.</p>
<h2>Recreational programs are the way forward</h2>
<p>Canada has powerchair sport programs for <a href="https://www.powerhockeycanada.com">international-level competition</a>, but it lacks the recreational programs needed to foster interest, engagement and athlete development. Creating more parasport opportunities for people who use powerchairs will give more Canadians the chance to participate in sports while fostering the development of those who aspire to compete internationally.</p>
<p>To address this need, <a href="https://cdpp.ca/get-involved">our research team</a> has partnered with the Canadian Paralympic Committee, Ontario Parasport Collective, PowerHockey Canada and other stakeholders to close the gaps in community-based sport programming for athletes with disabilities, especially those who use powerchairs. We are working to develop a resource guide for building high quality powerchair sport programs and aim to use this guide to establish programs in communities of 50,000 people or more.</p>
<p>In order to build long-lasting programs, we must meaningfully collaborate with the communities the programs are intended to serve, so we have adopted <a href="https://ikt.ok.ubc.ca">integrated knowledge translation principles</a> for this project. These principles make sure our research is conducted as ethically as possible. Over the next several months, we plan to speak with members of the <a href="https://cdpp.ca/get-involved">powerchair sport community and community-based organizations</a> interested in offering powerchair sport opportunities. This collaboration will transform the landscape of powerchair sport in Canada.</p>
<p><em>Paul Desaulniers of PowerHockey Canada co-authored this article.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/167013/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jordan Herbison receives funding from Mitacs the Sport Science Institute at McGill University. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amy Latimer-Cheung receives funding from MITACS in partnership with the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.</span></em></p>Within the parasport community itself, inclusivity and access is a real issue, especially for those who do not fit the mold of how we think an athlete “should” look or move.Jordan Herbison, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Queen's University, OntarioAmy Latimer-Cheung, Professor, School of Kinesiology, Queen's University, OntarioLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1668962021-09-03T03:49:23Z2021-09-03T03:49:23ZFrom bespoke seats to titanium arms, 3D printing is helping paralympians gain an edge<p>Major sporting events like the Paralympics are a breeding ground for technological innovation. Athletes, coaches, designers, engineers and sports scientists are constantly looking for the next improvement that will give them the edge. Over the past decade, <a href="https://www.hubs.com/guides/3d-printing/">3D printing</a> has <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1754337120971521">become a tool</a> to drive improvements in sports like running and cycling, and is increasingly used by paralympic athletes.</p>
<p>The Paralympics features athletes with a diverse range of abilities, competing in a wide range of different <a href="https://www.paralympic.org/classification">categories</a>. Many competitors use prosthetics, wheelchairs or other specialised components to enable them to perform at their best.</p>
<p>One interesting question is whether 3D printing widens or narrows the divide between athletes with access to specialised technologies, and those without. To put it another way, does the <a href="https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-8491-9.ch012">widespread availability</a> of 3D printers — which can now be found in many homes, schools, universities and <a href="https://www.makerspaces.com/what-is-a-makerspace/">makerspaces</a> — help to level the playing field?</p>
<h2>Forget mass production</h2>
<p>Mass-manufactured equipment, such as gloves, shoes and bicycles, is generally designed to suit typical able-bodied body shapes and playing styles. As such, it may not be suitable for many paralympians. But one-off, bespoke equipment is expensive and time-consuming to produce. This can limit access for some athletes, or require them to come up with their own “do-it-yourself” solutions, which may not be as advanced as professionally produced equipment.</p>
<p>3D printing can deliver bespoke equipment at a more affordable price. Several former paralympians, such as British triathlete <a href="https://all3dp.com/4/paralympic-athlete-3d-prints-adaptive-sports-equipment/">Joe Townsend</a> and US track athlete <a href="https://www.startribune.com/how-a-wheelchair-athlete-s-invention-led-to-a-growing-business/562872182/">Arielle Rausin</a>, now use 3D printing to create personalised gloves for themselves and their fellow wheelchair athletes. These gloves fit as if they were moulded over the athlete’s hands, and can be printed in different materials for different conditions. For example, Townsend uses stiff materials for maximum performance in competition, and softer gloves for training that are comfortable and less likely to cause injury.</p>
<p>3D-printed gloves are inexpensive, rapidly produced, and can be reprinted whenever they break. Because the design is digital, just like a photo or video, it can be modified based on the athlete’s feedback, or even sent to the nearest 3D printer when parts are urgently needed.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/paralympians-still-dont-get-the-kind-of-media-attention-they-deserve-as-elite-athletes-166879">Paralympians still don’t get the kind of media attention they deserve as elite athletes</a>
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<h2>Harder, better, faster, stronger</h2>
<p>An elite athlete might be concerned about whether 3D-printed parts will be strong enough to withstand the required performance demands. Fortunately, materials for 3D printing have come a long way, with many 3D printing companies developing their own formulas to suit applications in various industries - from medical to aerospace.</p>
<p>Back in 2016, we saw the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-olympics-rio-germany-paralympics-idUKKCN0XV2AQ">first 3D-printed prosthetic leg used in the Paralympics</a> by German track cyclist Denise Schindler. Made of polycarbonate, it was lighter than her previous carbon-fibre prosthetic, but just as strong and better-fitting. </p>
<p>With research showing <a href="https://commons.nmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1290&context=isbs">sprint cyclists can generate more than 1,000 Newtons of force</a> during acceleration (the same force you would feel if a 100-kilogram person were to stand on top of you!), such prosthetics need to be incredibly strong and durable. Schindler’s helped her win a bronze medal at the Tokyo games.</p>
<p>More advanced materials being 3D printed for Paralympic equipment include carbon fibre, with Townsend using it to produce the <a href="https://all3dp.com/4/paralympic-athlete-3d-prints-adaptive-sports-equipment/">perfect crank arms</a> for his handbike. 3D printing allows reinforced carbon fibre to be placed exactly where it is needed to improve the stiffness of a part, while remaining lightweight. This results in a better-performing part than one made from aluminium.</p>
<p>3D-printed titanium is also being used for <a href="https://www.ge.com/news/reports/a-quantum-leap-this-paralympic-athlete-is-harnessing-the-power-of-personalized-training-equipment-built-with-the-latest-3d-printing-technology">custom prosthetic arms</a>, such as those that allow New Zealand paralympian Anna Grimaldi to securely grip 50kg weights, in a way a standard prosthetic couldn’t achieve.</p>
<h2>Different technologies working together</h2>
<p>For 3D printing to deliver maximum results, it needs to be used in conjunction with other technologies. For example, <a href="https://sportstechnologyblog.com/2018/03/02/customising-what-athletes-wear-and-use-3d-scanning-and-other-tech/">3D scanning</a> is often an important part of the design process, using a collection of photographs, or dedicated 3D scanners, to digitise part of an athlete’s body.</p>
<p>Such technology has been used to <a href="https://www.mercedes-benz.com.au/passengercars/experience/mercedes-me-magazine/performance/articles/science-technology-super-athlete/story-content.module.html">3D-scan a seat mould</a> for Australian wheelchair tennis champion Dylan Alcott, allowing engineers to manufacture a seat that gives him maximum comfort, stability and performance.</p>
<p>3D scanning was also used to create the <a href="https://createdigital.org.au/engineers-helping-aussie-athletes-to-paralympic-gold/">perfect-fitting grip</a> for Australian archer Taymon Kenton-Smith, who was born with a partial left hand. The grip was then 3D-printed in both hard and soft materials at the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/aug/20/bespoke-bows-and-specialised-seats-the-engineering-propelling-paralympians-to-new-levels">Australian Institute of Sport</a>, providing a more reliable bow grip with shock-absorbing abilities. If the grip breaks, an identical one can be easily reprinted, rather than relying on someone to hand-craft a new one that might have slight variations and take a long time to produce.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/3-reasons-why-paralympic-powerlifters-shift-seemingly-impossible-weights-166824">3 reasons why Paralympic powerlifters shift seemingly impossible weights</a>
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<p>All these technologies are increasingly accessible, meaning more non-elite athletes can experiment with unique parts. Amateurs and professionals alike can already buy <a href="https://www.carbon3d.com/resources/case-study/adidas/">running shoes</a> with 3D-printed soles, and <a href="https://www.bastioncycles.com/experience/">3D-printed custom bike frames</a>. For those with access to their own 3D printer, <a href="https://edditiveblog.wordpress.com/category/kitesurfing-and-sup/">surf fins</a>, <a href="https://all3dp.com/2/3d-printed-bike-parts-accessories/">cycling accessories</a> and more can be downloaded for free and printed for just a few dollars.</p>
<p>However, don’t expect your home 3D printer to be making titanium parts anytime soon. While the technology is levelling the playing field to a certain extent, elite athletes still have access to specialised materials and engineering expertise, giving them the technological edge.</p>
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<p>_This article was coauthored by Julian Chua, a sports technology consultant at <a href="https://www.reengineeringlabs.com/">ReEngineering Labs</a> and author of the <a href="https://sportstechnologyblog.com/">Sports Technology Blog</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/166896/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>This article was written in collaboration with Dr Julian Chua, who is affiliated with ReEngineering Labs, a sports technology consultancy, as well as the Sports Technology Blog (<a href="https://sportstechnologyblog.com/">https://sportstechnologyblog.com/</a>).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Novak does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Most sporting equipment is designed with typical able-bodied athletes in mind, whereas custom equipment to meet a particular Paralympian’s needs can be expensive. 3D printing offers a third way.James Novak, Senior Research Fellow and Adjunct Lecturer, The University of QueenslandAndrew Novak, Senior Research Fellow, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.