The Commonwealth Games, being held this year in Glasgow, hold a para competition in the same place and at the same time as the general competition. Not only does this give equal opportunity to all athletes, but it also brings disability sport into the mainstream conversation.

The multi-sport competition has been held every four years since 1930, when they were known as the British Empire Games. At the 1994 games in Victoria, Canada, disabled athletes were included in exhibition events. But in 2002 in Manchester, England, para athletes were fully integrated into their teams.

This made the Commonwealth Games the first major event where para competition took place alongside the general programme, with disabled athletes’ medals counting towards their nation’s tally.

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And over recent years, opportunities for elite para sportsmen and women have grown and coverage has expanded. A partnership between the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee, the increased media coverage of the Paralympics, and integration within the Commonwealth Games have all been important steps for disability sport.

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