Paralympic Educational Hub

The USOPC's Paralympic Educational Hub is your one-stop source for background information on the Paralympic Movement, ways to cover Para sport and debunking common myths.

One for All: Paralympic Games#

Let's make the Paralympic Games impossible to miss, and together we can show the world that we are Team USA

Educational Documents#

  • Athlete competes in Goalball

    Sports 101

    Learn about the 27 sports that make up the Paralympic movement, each with their own eligibility requirements and sports classes.

    Learn More, opens in a new tab
  • Paralympic skier passes a gate while competing

    Classification 101

    Understand who is eligible to compete in a Paralympic sport and how eligible athletes are grouped in competition.

    Learn More, opens in a new tab
  • Paralympic athlete competes in swimming

    Myths

    There are many misconceptions about the Paralympic Games. Find out the truth behind these events and the athletes.

    Learn More, opens in a new tab
  • Ezra Frech competes in high jump

    DOs & DON'Ts

    Explore our guidelines for how media can best cover people with disabilities, especially when highlighting our Para athletes.

    Learn More, opens in a new tab

U.S. Paralympics, a division of the nonprofit USOPC, is dedicated to becoming the world leader in the Paralympic Movement and promoting excellence in the lives of people with disabilities, including physical disabilities and visual impairments.


Since its formation in 2001, U.S. Paralympics has been inspiring Americans to achieve their dreams. Through relationships with hundreds of organizations across the country including National Governing Bodies, High Performance Management Organizations and adaptive sports organizations, U.S. Paralympics is making a difference in the lives of thousands of people with Paralympic-eligible impairments.


The USOPC is recognized as the National Paralympic Committee in the United States, as recognized by the International Paralympic Committee, and is one of only four organizations in the world to manage both Olympic and Paralympic sport at the national level – and the first to include the distinction in its official name and marks. U.S. Paralympics is responsible for elite sports programming including sending the U.S. Paralympic Team to the summer and winter Paralympic Games.


The IPC is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. The IPC’s primary responsibilities are to support our 200 plus members develop Para sport and advocate social inclusion, ensure the successful delivery and organization of the Paralympic Games and act as the international federation for 10 Para sports. For more information on the IPC, please click here.


The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee has created a waitlist for media accreditation requests submitted after Dec. 1, 2022, to the Paralympic Games held in Paris, France, from Aug. 28-Sept. 8, 2024. The waitlist application, as well as additional details, for the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 can be found here.


An exclusive process for media accreditation requests for the Parapan American Games held in Santiago, Chile, from Nov. 17-26 will begin on July 3, 2023.


For questions regarding media accreditation to the Games, please contact accreditation@usopc.org. To stay updated on the latest happenings in the Paralympic movement, sign up for our press release distribution list or visit the Team USA newsfeed.

Paralympic Games Rewind#

  • Paralympic snowboarder competes

    Beijing 2022

  • Paralympic athlete competes in track

    Tokyo 2020

  • Paralympic Skiers compete

    PeyongChang 2018

Additional Resources#