Equality in Sports: Balancing Access to Adaptive Technology and Fair Competition

 For starters, yes I believe that adaptive technology should be allowed in sports. Reason behind this is for many reasons but one in particular. For many that have unfortunately lost arms or legs whether it was through a combat inflicted wound, car accident, or something other than these, living with your new challenge can be very difficult and depressive for these individuals. Most times, many feel that they aren't able to do what they could before falling to these injuries. Now, when we take a look at these adaptive technologies, for instance running blades, this allows these individuals to participate in what they once loved doing before their injury. On top of this, it allows these individuals to participate in competitive sporting events on an equal footing while promoting inclusivity. But not only does this positively affect the athletes, it also positively affects those that may have similar disabilities where they feel that they can do it too. Talked about by Burak Canpolat, he mentions that "the stories and achievements of athletes foster a more positive attitude towards disabled individuals in society and help develop greater understanding and empathy regarding disability" (Canpolat, N/D). 

But unfortunately, not everyone is fortunate enough to have access to these kinds of technologies. When we take a look at all the different kinds of technologies for these individuals, each sport has a different way of using an adaptive piece of tech to help them be able to participate in these sports. For starters, we have running blades designed for those that love to run but may have unfortunately lost a leg to an injury. But on top of this, we also have chairs designed for basketball for those who may have been paralyzed from the waist down which feature a bigger push rim which can range from 60-68cm in diameter while when comparing to a racing chair which range from 35-39cm. In the basketball chair, athletes also sit more high-up than they would on a racing chair. In an article posted on the Paralympic website, it mentions that with this technology for basketball it "means an athletes’ stroke length is a lot shorter in wheelchair basketball and require quicker hands and explosive power to stop and change directions" (Paralympic, 2016). With all these different kinds of technologies, it may be more expensive for some nations who might not exactly be able to afford it. Unfortunately, this issue creates essentially a disadvantage and inequality in access for opportunities for athletes with disabilities. This can limit their abilities to compete on a level playing field with athletes for more fortunate nations. I think ways that can help this though would to create more access to these technologies for athletes from disadvantaged nations. Ways we could do this is by creating funding to help, equipment donations, or even partnerships with manufactures to make these technologies more affordable and available to those who are in need.

Now, when we take a look at the question of should athletes who need to use certain kinds of technologies such as running blades be allowed to compete in able-bodied sports, the short answer for me would be yes. But when we take a look at the long answer, it ultimately can come down to the nature of the sport and if the technology gives a significant advantage over able-bodied athletes. In some scenarios, some types of technology can provide athletes with a significant advantage over able-bodied athletes, which ultimately could compromise the integrity of the competition. But in cases where it would create a fair competitive advantage, I would say go for it. There has actually already been a case of this happening in recent years. In the 2012 London Summer Olympics, Oscar Pistorius competed in the 400m run. Although he moved onto the semifinals and may have not won, the beauty of it is that he was still able to participate in doing what he loves. In an article posted by Bill Chappell, he states that "during the race, when it became apparent that Pistorius wasn't content to make history but might also make the semifinal, they roared as he sped into the final turn to set up his strong finish" (Chappell, 2012). I believe in the future, for many sports we will be able to see those with these technologies competing more often against those who are able-bodied in a fair competitive manner, ultimately bringing to light these issues that we are not taught much about.