The Paralympic Games: Empowerment or Side Show?

In particular the book develops the following five themes of the 'Public and Media Perceptions', 'A View of the Paralympics', 'Olympism versus Paralympism', 'Cultural Diversity at the Paralympics' and 'The Future Directions for Research' in the Paralympic arena. Inside of these themes several important issues are addressed. They include chapters on marketing for the Paralympics, technical aspects of the Paralympic Games, the relationship between the Olympism and Paralympics, and the Paralympic movement in Africa to name a few. Throughout the book the question is asked as to whether the Paralympics empowers individuals with a disability or if the Paralympics are perhaps just a sideshow to the major Olympic events. This question has been revisited several times throughout the book and it accentuates the major thrust of the writings therein.

Keith Gilbert is a Professor and Director of the Centre for Disabilities, Sport and Health in the School of Health and Bioscience at the University of East London, United Kingdom. Otto J. Schantz is a Professor and Dean of the Institute of Sport Sciences at the University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany.