ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the development of the Paralympics from small beginnings as an archery competition for ex-servicemen and women in the grounds of Stoke Mandeville Hospital (England) to the present-day international festival held in Olympic cities immediately after the Summer and Winter Games. It traces their origins to the work of Ludwig Guttmann at the National Spinal Injuries Unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire, before describing their path towards the host city being required to include a bid for the Paralympics as part of its candidacy for the Olympics. While the ramifications of this requirement for prospective host is identified as being relatively modest, the wider aspects of barrier freedom are identified. In particular, it shows how the goals of Paralympic sport are closely meshed with growing awareness of the need for inclusiveness in society.
