ABSTRACT
This chapter examines interactions between Paralympic sports and the organisation of related communications and representation of the Paralympics. This conjunction has been conceived of as the production of a Paralympic brand, with the work of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) now central to a focused orientation encompassing delivery, development and communications about disability sports. The Paralympic brand has become intimately entwined with the Olympics and so too with the Olympic governing body - the International Olympic Committee (IOC). As with the 'Para-' and 'super' narratives that place disability somehow 'outside or on the edge' of human experience, there is a risk that discourses, perceptions and practices become bifurcated between real and ideal visions. A critical assessment of Paralympic sponsorship highlights the volatility of the sponsorship 'market' for individuals and also the emphasis on performance and 'medal' count in relation to government support.
