The Dwarf Athletic Association of America (DAAA)
was formed in 1985 to develop, promote, and provide quality amateur-level
athletic opportunities for athletes who are dwarfs in the United
States. It is dedicated to serving the estimated 250,000 Americans
who are dwarfs (4'10" or less) due to chondrodystrophy or
related causes. Clincs, developmental events, and formal competitions
are offered at local, regional, and national levels. For the National
Dwarf Games, the premier annual event, athletes compete under
age, gender, and functional ability classifications. The DAAA
offers programs for children through elite athletes. Visit DAAA's
web site by clicking on their logo above for additional information.
As a U.S. Olympic Committee and International Sports
Organization for the Disabled member, DS/USA sanctions
and conducts competitions and training programs for athletes who
are orthopedically impaired, representing the U.S. at international
competitions such as the Paralympic Games, the Olympic-equivalent
event for athletes with physical disabilities. DS/USA is responsible
for conducting year-round programs in 13 Olympic sports.
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- Special Olympics, founded in 1968 by Eunice
Kennedy Shriver, provides year-round sports training and athletic
competition for individuals with mental retardation. Special
Olympics is a nonprofit organization serving more than one million
athletes in nearly 150 countries and all 50 states in the United
States.
United States Association of Blind Athletes(USABA)
is a non-profit amateur sport organization that provides
sport opportunities at the state, regional, national, and international
levels for individuals who are legally blind. Its mission is
to change the attitudes of the general population about the abilities
of individuals who are visually impaired.
The goal of the USA Deaf Sports Federation (USADSF)
is to provide deaf and hard-of-hearing children and adults with
opportunities to compete with their peers, as well as the larger
society of athletes. Through the United States Olympic Committee's
National Governing Bodies, the USADSF produces competitive United
States Teams at the World Games for the Deaf. The spirit of the
USADSF incorporates universal values of self-respect, sportsmanship,
and competition which transcends all boundaries of geography,
nationality, gender, age, race, and religion.
National Disability Sports Alliance (NDSA), formerly
the United States Cerebral Palsy Athletic Association (USCPAA),
offers competitive sports opportunities and support mechanisms
to individuals with cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injuries,
or stroke survivors with motor dysfunction acquired congenitally
or at any age. Athletes may be wheelchair users or ambulatory.
Using the term "Alliance" in their new name allows
NDSA to develop stronger relationships with other disability
groups and their organizations. Several sports currently offered
are open to other groups and have been for a number of years.
Visit their web site by clicking on their logo for further information.
Wheelchair Sports, USA , founded in 1956 as
the National Wheelchair Athletic Association, changed its name
in 1994 to better reflect the organization's mission and goals.
From the beginning, this organization has been directed and developed
by wheelchair athletes and wheelchair sports enthusiasts, individuals
with firsthand understanding of the values of participation.
CISS, Comité International des Sports
des Sourds, is a French acronym for International Committee
for Sports of the Deaf. Established in 1924, CISS is recognized
by the International Olympic Committee and has 72 member countries
that participate in a variety of regional and world championships,
as well as the World Games for the Deaf. Our web page contains
a multitude of information including upcoming events, results
of recent events, our history, addresses where we can be contacted,
and information on World Games for the Deaf.
CP-ISRA is the ultimate international authority
on sports matters for persons with cerebral palsy and related
neurological conditions. The goals and purpose of the Federation
are to coordinate, promote, and foster sports for these persons
either directly or indirectly, through the authorities of each
nation and international bodies, or through any of the legally
authorized channels. To learn more about this international organization,
click on their logo above and visit their web site.
The International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA)
was founded in Paris in 1981 as a non-profit organization
representing and coordinating sports and competitions for individuals
who are blind or have visual impairments. IBSA is one of the
International Federations for the Disabled, founders of the ICC
(the International Coordinnating Committee of the World Sports
Organizations for Disabled Persons, being represented currently
by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), top governing
body at the world level, of which IBSA is a full-fledged member.
It is also recognized by the IOC (International Olympic Committee)
and the World Blind Union.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) was
founded in 1989 by six international organizations - CISS: Comité
International Sports des Sourds; CPISRA: Cerebral Palsy International
Sport and Recreation Association; IBSA: International Blind Sport
Association; INAS-FMH: International Association of Sport for
Persons with Mental Handicaps; ISMGF: International Stoke Mandeville
Games Federation (now ISMWSF: International Stoke Mandeville
Wheelchair Sports Federation); and ISOD: International Sport
Organization for the Disabled - and the nations attending the
Inaugural General Assembly.
The IPC mandate includes supervision and coordination of the
Paralympic and other multi-disability world and regional championships
and games, the promotion of sport for athletes with disabilities,
and the organizing of sport-specific competitions.
International Sports Organization for the Disabled
(ISOD) was founded in 1964 to unite national disability sport
organizations in international cooperation and to further the
development of sports programs for individuals with disabilities.
Athletes with permanent disabilities who cannot participate on
reasonably equal terms with non-disabled athletes may participate
in ISOD events. Click on the ISOD logo above to visit the International
Paralympic Committee (IPC) site page to find out more about
this organization.
Wheelchair Sports Worldwide is a wholly operated
foundation of the International Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair
Sports Federation (ISMWSF). This is the premiere source of
information on global wheelchair sports events. Click on the
above logo to access their site.
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