How can I become a Paralympic athlete?
If you are interested in competing as a Paralympic athlete, the best course of action would be to contact the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) in your country.

How can I become a referee or official during Paralympic Games?
There is a lot of training and expertise necessary before someone can work as an official at Paralympic Games level. If you are interested in becoming a referee or official, please contact your NPC or local sports club.

How can I find information about a specific athlete?
Provided you know the athlete's name and country he or she represented, you can contact their National Paralympic Committee (NPC).

I want to see the Paralympic Games - where can I find information on travel, accommodation and tickets?
All of the information that you need to go to the Paralympic Games is available on the website of the respective Organizing Committees. If you want information about the next Paralympic Summer Games in Beijing go to www.beijing2008.com. If you want information about the next Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, go to www.vancouver2010.com. Information on the London 2012 Paralympic Games can be found at www.london2012.com.

How can I volunteer for the Paralympic Games, World Championships and Regional Championships?
The best way to become a volunteer for the Paralympic Games, World Championships and Regional Championships is to contact the organizing committees of the competitions. For the Paralympic Games, go to  www.beijing2008.com, www.vancouver201.com or www.london2012.com. For World and Regional Championships, you can find a listing of events and contact information by accessing the sports calendar on this website.

What is the contact information for the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) in my country?
You can find the contact information for every NPC on this website in the Contact section.

There is no National Paralympic Committee (NPC) in my country. How do I participate?
The current structure of Paralympic competition does not allow athletes to compete without having representation from a National Paralympic Committee (NPC).

What is classification? Can you explain the classification system?
Classification is simply a structure for competition. Not unlike wrestling, boxing and weightlifting, where athletes are categorized by weight classes, athletes with a disability are grouped in classes defined by the degree of function presented by the disability.

Traditionally there are athletes who belong to six different disability groups in the Paralympic Movement: amputee, cerebral palsy, visual impairment, spinal injury, intellectual disability and a group which includes all those that do not fit into the aforementioned groups (les autres).

Sport classes are determined by a variety of processes that may include a physical and technical assessment and observation in and out of competition. The classes are defined by each sport and form part of the sport rules. 

Classification is an ongoing process. When an athlete starts competing, they are allocated a sport class that may be reviewed throughout the athlete's career. Sports certify individuals to conduct the process of classification and these officials are known as classifiers.

What is the Paralympic Movement?
The Paralympic Movement encompasses all athletes and officials belonging to the NPCs, the IOSDs, the International Federations (IFs), the Regional Organizations (ROs), the IPC Regional Committees, the IOSD Sports, the IPC Sports Committees, IPC Councils, IPC Standing Committees, other IPC bodies and any other persons or organizations who agree to be guided by the IPC Constitution and Bylaws. The criteria for belonging to the Paralympic Movement is formal membership or recognition by the IPC.

How can our organization apply a sport to be included in the Paralympic Programme?
Any sport that wishes to be considered for the Paralympic Games must apply at least seven years before the Paralympic Games in question. The Paralympic Programme is re-evaluated each quadrennium to ensure that each sport meets specific criteria in order to maintain elite standards. The criteria are based on the principles of quality, quantity and universality. Quality refers to the competitive quality of events and disciplines offered on a sport's quadrennial competition programme. Quantity refers to the number of nations widely practicing a sport at elite level. Universality refers to the number of regions a sport is widely practiced in. The specific criteria is outlined in the IPC Handbook.

The review process respects the autonomy of the different sports by evaluating them based on official results from competitions over the last quadrennium. This means that, for instance, a sport aiming to be on the 2008 Paralympic Summer Games would be evaluated based on results and data between the 2000 and the 2004 Paralympic Games. The sports programme for the 2008 Games is thus determined at the 2004 Games, i.e. four years in advance. Queries on application procedures and requirements can be directed to the Sports Department at the IPC Headquarters.

Why are certain sports not a Paralympic Sport, or why aren't certain sports on the Paralympic Sport Programme?
The criteria established for the determination of sports, disciplines and events looks to achieve a programme that reflects diversity and the highest standards of athletic excellence whilst guaranteeing regional access for qualification and elite opportunities for all athletes, especially women and athletes with severe disabilities. Only events that meet the standards within the timeline established are considered for inclusion on the Paralympic Games Programme. Visit the IPC Handbook for details.

Why are the Paralympic Games not run in conjunction with the Olympic Games?
The Paralympic Games are the second largest sporting event in the world. Nearly four thousand athletes participated at the ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games. Considering the staff, volunteers, accommodation, transportation and overall scheduling that would be need to host such an event, it would be nearly impossible for one city to host both the Olympic and Paralympic Games simultaneously. Under the agreement between the IOC and IPC, it was determined that the Paralympic Games will always take place following the Olympic Games in the same host city. More information can be found in the  IOC-IPC Co-operation.