The Inclusion of the Paralympics in the Olympic and Amateur Sports Act: Legal and Policy Implications for Integration of Athletes with Disabilities into the United States Olympic Committee and National Governing Bodies
In: Journal of sport and social issues: the official journal of Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society, Band 27, Heft 3, S. 261-275
ISSN: 1552-7638
The governance of disability sport is a complex and evolving area. In particular, the passage of the Stevens Amendment of 1998 altered the responsibilities of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) in terms of its relationship to disability sport, specifically Paralympic sport. Now the USOC, along with the various national governing bodies (NGBs) and disabled sports organizations (DSOs), is grappling with the implementation of the Stevens Amendment. The policy implications of this legal mandate to be more inclusive of athletes with disabilities are unclear, as Congress did not specify how the act should be implemented. This article provides background information on disability sport governance and presents the legal and policy implications of the Stevens Amendment for the various sport governing bodies.