Sports Media Advocacy Campaign

ATHLETE PROFILES

SPORT INFORMATION

An Open Letter from Disability in Sport

Boston, MA 6-24-04

We are writing to inform you of our initiative to raise awareness within the sports media regarding athletes with disabilities and the Paralympic Games. It is our aim to advocate for athletes with disabilities and help convince more of the sports media to cover the athletes and the upcoming Paralympic Games to the extent it deserves.

We would like to utilize the platform of the upcoming Games to bring attention to the social issues related to the rights of people with disabilities with respect to access to sports and recreation, and to initiate the actions necessary to rectify the invisibility of athletes with a disability in the media.

The roots for the Paralympic Games began after World War II. In 1944, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann, a German refugee, neurologist and neurosurgeon was the founder of a center for patients with spinal cord injuries in England. His initiative to make sport an inseparable part of his patient's treatment and rehabilitation sprouted international interest.

Since 1960 when the games began with 400 athletes representing 23 countries, the number of athletes participating in the Paralympic Games has increased ten fold. In Athens this summer, 4000 athletes will represent over 140 countries. Have you ever wondered why elite athletes with a disability do not receive media recognition? How can the public gain interest in Games without the knowledge of their existence?

Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society is committed to increasing awareness of the relationship between sport and our society and promotes the idea that the sports community can, and should, take the lead role in bringing about positive social change. We look forward to working with you on this important initiative and we hope that you will be willing to take a proactive role to bring visability to athletes with disabilities competing at the highest levels.

Thank you in advance for your consideration and we will look forward to hearing from you in the coming days. Please do not hesitate to let us know if you have any questions. We will plan to be in contact on a regular basis leading up to the Games.

Sincerely,
Eli Wolff - Project Director, Disability in Sport

Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society
Kevin Matthews
Director of External Affairs
email: [email protected]
phone: (617) 373-4256