Unstoppable Spirit

      For this week's blog post I am going to reflect on and compare the medical model of disability to the biopsychosocial model. As well as on how to better educate people to understand that someone with a disability does not need to be "fixed." First, let me break down what the medical model of disability is, then I will discuss the problems with this model. The framework behind this model is that an individual with a disability must be treated or "fixed," which innately frames a disability as a problem (Figure 1). Now of course there is plenty of medical care and technology that can greatly improve the quality of life for someone with a disability. Although this model overlooks the larger issue of societal barriers put onto people with disabilities. (Figure 1: Image of Medical Model Verse Biopsychosocial Model of Disability)      This is where the biopsychosocial model prevails with a better and more realistic understanding of disabilities in society. T...

     Welcome all new and returning readers to my blog page, this week's blog post is all about inclusion in sports. The questions that are being discussed in this week's post are, first should all athletes with any type of disability be allowed to be classified for any sport? As well as should Paralympic sports be fully inclusive and how to create a fair playing field with so many different disabilities?       I believe in theory, all athletes no matter the disabilities should be allowed to be classified in any sport. I think that total inclusion and equality is the true way and backbone of the Paralympics. Although, this is a beautiful ideology in theory, putting it into practice a lot harder than it seems. This would immediately lead to some serious fairness issues, because of how different disabilities affect the body in several ways. For example, an athlete with a mobility disability would be competing under different physical conditions than an at...

      Hello to all of my amazing readers out there, we have another thought-provoking topic this week. That topic being the discussion of the IPC's ban on Russia and Belarus from participating as countries in the Paralympics. First, I must discuss the reasons for this ban, in order to make any valid arguments for or against it. The IPC banned Russia and Belarus from competing in the Paralympics back in 2022, due to Russia's invasion into Ukraine. Although, in 2023 the original ban was turned into a partial ban, allowing athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate as "neutrals" (World Today Journal, 2026). This meant that the athletes could participate (Figure 2), although their countries would not be represented anywhere at the Paralympics (World Today Journal, 2026). (Figure 1: Image of the IPC making the 2022 ban on Russia and Belarus)      I believe the IPC is wrong for putting restrictions on athletes, just because the country they represent is at w...