FACT: There are approximately 53 million individuals with disabilities in the U.S. today.

FACT: There are seven disability sport organizations that are disability-specific and multi-sports oriented in the U.S., each of which belongs to the U.S. Olympic Committee.

FACT: Today there are more than 125,000 athletes, volunteers, and professionals active in the growing competitive sports for athletes with disabilities movement in the U.S. aligned under the International Paralympic Committee, not to mention the million individuals world-wide associated with Special Olympics International or the deaf within programs of the American Athletic Association of the Deaf.

FACT: There exist today in the U.S. more than 30 special interest national organizations dealing with specific disabilities, each having regional, state, or local affiliates.

FACT: Physical education is the only curricular area that is a defined part of special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

These facts illustrate an increasing involvement of people with disabilities and of special organizations concerned about physical education, recreation, dance, aquatics, and sport for individuals with disabilities. Today, laws enacted by the government have ensured accessibility to public facilities, equal opportunities to pursue an education, and have opened up avenues for participation in sport. The publisher of PALAESTRA saw a need for a magazine to address these trends and more.

The lack of literature available for those professionally interested in working with participants having disabilities in physical education, recreation, and sport was the motivating factor in creating PALAESTRA. Therefore, PALAESTRA was born out of respect for the challenges, problems, and rewards experienced by those with disabilities and those working with and for them. This challenge is not only felt by participants, but also extends to the legislative necessity of fighting for equal rights through increasing awareness of the public and the government.

PALAESTRA's mission is threefold: first, to enlighten parents in all aspects of physical activity, thus making them the best possible advocates for their children during IEP (Individual Education Plan) discussions with the school or community recreation staff; second, to increase the knowledge base of those professionals working with children or adults with disabilities, making them aware of the can do possibilities of their clients; third, we would like our adult readers to learn the value physical activity holds for their increased wellness.

PALAESTRA, a quarterly publication, is designed to be a single responsible source of valuable information targeting all individuals interested in sport, physical education and recreation involving individuals with disabilities. Thus, PALAESTRA presents sport, physical education, and recreation features for those individuals with amputations, blindness or visual impairments, cerebral palsy, deafness or auditory impairments, small stature (dwarfism), mental retardation, spinal cord injuries, and other disabilities (les Autres).