International disability sporting events have become much more visible in recent years and have been promoted as a way of achieving inclusion and promoting participation.
But our study shows that it’s not an even playing field for athletes who participate and perform successfully in paralympic sports. We explored factors which determine both participation and success in the paralympic sport of athletics (track and field).
We found that economic factors play a major role. Affordability influences the extent to which countries can participate in different events. Athletes from low-and middle-income countries—particularly women—are at a distinct disadvantage. These differences were particularly marked in events that had a high cost of participation. Both determined how well athletes performed.
These findings are not that different from similar studies on Olympic sports. These show success is closely related to gross domestic product, team size, and country wealth.
But unlike the International Paralympic Committee, the Olympic movement does not claim to be promoting inclusion, equity, and fairness.
Our research raises important questions about how well the International Paralympic Committee achieves its goals of global fairness and inclusivity. Our findings are important because the evidence goes against the grain of the Paralympic Movement’s vision to promote inclusion and fairness in paralympic sport.
An inclusive environment
The International Paralympic Committee is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. It promotes “a more inclusive society for people with an impairment through para-sport.” It challenges stereotypes and transforms attitudes by breaking down social barriers and discrimination against people with an impairment.
The committee has been successful in promoting disability sports. Both the London Paralympics in 2012 and the Rio Paralympics in 2016 attracted considerable media attention. They both successfully tackled conventional stereotypes. In addition, many athletes were transformed into icons as a result of attracting large numbers of followers.
Like all sporting codes, the central principles of fair competition—which include avoiding technologies that provide an unfair advantage—apply to paralympic sport. But the participants’ disabilities mean that rules have to be adapted.
Two examples illustrate this. Firstly, many athletes have to use technologies and adaptive devices to participate equally. This includes the use of running blades and racing wheelchairs. In the case of shot put, wheelchair users can use special throwing frames.
Another example is the accommodation of, for example, visually impaired runners. They are allowed to have a guide to enable them to participate and compete fairly.
There is an elaborate classification system that categorizes different types of bodies into classes. This helps athletes with atypical bodies to compete against those with similar, or functionally equivalent, atypicalities.
Measuring inequality
But our study found that these adaptations can militate against the participation, and performance, of athletes from low- and-middle income countries.
We looked at how country-level economic variables, such as per capita income and Gross Domestic Product, influenced participation and achievement. We used the 2015 IPC Athletics Championships held in Doha as a case study.
The data we put together showed that economic factors significantly influenced both the level at which athletes participated and how well they did. We factored in the population size of a country to ensure it didn’t skew the results.
We found that high income countries, such as the United States, Sweden and Norway, were 3.4 times more likely to participate in the championships compared with low- or middle-income countries like South Africa and India.
This meant that there were fewer participants from low- and middle-income countries. This, in turn, affected country performance measured by the number of medals each country earned.
The need for expensive equipment also affected participation. Here inequalities were particularly marked for women.
Creating a more inclusive environment
More must be done to level the playing fields for athletes with disabilities. To achieve fairness and include all people with disabilities, the International Paralympic Committee must be mindful of the structural and economic factors in low- and-middle income countries that get in the way of athletes’ participation.
Applying technologies to athletes in conditions where there is relative economic prosperity may well serve to equalize opportunities within higher-income contexts. But these technologies cannot solve the global problem of access to sporting opportunities in low- and middle-income countries.
It is not the role of the International Paralympic Committee to tackle global inequality. But the inspirational and aspirational tone of the language used by the committee may lead to the unrealistic expectation that paralympic sport is fair and equal.
More importantly, this research shows the complex issues about how technologies developed in high-income countries to promote inclusion among people with disabilities may not be as effective in the context of economic scarcity and resource constraints.
There is a real danger that the language used by the committee is leading to the unrealistic expectation that paralympic sport is fair and equal. This is not fair for disabled athletes, or people living with disabilities.
Grieving couple comforting each other
This response to someone grieving a friend might be the best internet comment ever
When someone is hit with the sudden loss of a friend or loved one, words rarely feel like enough. Yet, more than a decade ago, a wise Redditor named GSnow shared thoughts so profound they still bring comfort to grieving hearts today.
Originally posted around 2011, the now-famous reply was rediscovered when Upvoted, an official Reddit publication, featured it again to remind everyone of its enduring truth. It began as a simple plea for help: “My friend just died. I don't know what to do.”
What followed was a piece of writing that many consider one of the internet’s best comments of all time. It remains shared across social media, grief forums, and personal messages to this day because its honesty and metaphor speak to the raw reality of loss and the slow, irregular path toward healing.
Below is GSnow’s full reply, unchanged, in all its gentle, wave-crashing beauty:
Why this advice still matters
Mental health professionals and grief counselors often describe bereavement in stages or phases, but GSnow’s “wave theory” gives an image more relatable for many. Rather than a linear process, grief surges and retreats—sometimes triggered by a song, a place, or a simple morning cup of coffee.
In recent years, this metaphor has found renewed relevance. Communities on Reddit, TikTok, and grief support groups frequently reshare it to help explain the unpredictable nature of mourning.
Many readers say this analogy helps them feel less alone, giving them permission to ride each wave of grief rather than fight it.
Finding comfort in shared wisdom
Since this comment first surfaced, countless people have posted their own stories underneath it, thanking GSnow and passing the words to others facing fresh heartbreak. It’s proof that sometimes, the internet can feel like a global support group—strangers linked by shared loss and hope.
For those searching for more support today, organizations like The Dougy Center, GriefShare, and local bereavement groups offer compassionate resources. If you or someone you know is struggling with intense grief, please reach out to mental health professionals who can help navigate these deep waters.
When grief comes crashing like the ocean, remember these words—and hang on. There is life between the waves.
This article originally appeared four years ago.