Sport
Disability sport classification
If you are interested in participating in disability sport at an elite level, you need to go through the classification process.
- What is the classification process?
- How are people classified?
- Who can I contact about classification?
What is the classification process?
Classification is based on a person's functional ability to participate in a sport, and helps with determining eligibility to compete in regional, state, national and international competitions. It aims to ensure athletes of similar abilities compete against one another. The classification process is different for each sport, and is quite involved. It should be started early in an athlete's sporting career.
How are people classified?
Classifiers—trained officials who are able to apply the guidelines and processes for classification on a sport-by-sport basis—are responsible for overseeing the classification process. They usually have either medical experience or are technical experts in their sport (such as coaches or former athletes). The Australian Paralympic Committee, working with national sports organisations, is responsible for training classifiers.
Classification involves classifiers carrying out a series of tests to establish whether an athlete meets necessary criteria, including:
- assessing an athlete's minimum impairment
- observing them as they participate in their sport to establish the ideal classification group for them to compete in.
Who can I contact about classification?
The following organisations coordinate classification for sports in Queensland:
- Athletes with a physical disability: all sports except swimming. Contact: Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association: phone: (07) 3253 3333 or email classification@sportingwheelies.org.au
- Athletes with a physical disability: swimming. Contact: Swimming Queensland: phone: (07) 3823 4109 or email: wendy.ross@swimming.org.au
- Athletes with a vision impairment: Paralympic sports (athletics, cycling, goalball, swimming). Contact: Australian Paralympic Committee (Queensland Branch): phone: (07) 3551 1705 or email: andrea.johnstone@paralympic.org.au
- Athletes with a vision impairment: non-Paralympic sports (eg. tenpin bowling, lawn bowls, golf). Contact: Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association: phone: (07) 3253 3333 or email classification@sportingwheelies.org.au
- Athletes with an intellectual disability: all sports. Contact Life Stream Foundation: phone (07) 3394 4399, or email info@lifestream.org.au
- Athletes with a hearing impairment: all sports. Contact Deaf Sports and Recreation Queensland: phone (07) 3848 6002 or email dsrq@dsrq.org.au.
More information
More information about understanding classification is available on the Australian Paralympic Committee's (APC's) website. The APC publishes classification fact sheets:
- Classification Information for Athletes (PDF, 58KB)
- APC Physical Disabilities Classification Fact Sheet (PDF, 301KB)
- APC Intellectual Disability Classification Fact Sheet (PDF, 191KB)
- APC Vision Impairment Classification Fact Sheet (PDF, 236KB).
If you are interested in competing against other athletes with a disability in sport, you can also complete the Get into Sport form to contact the APC for further advice.
