Paralympic Games is a major international multi-sport event, involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, since the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul, South Korea, are held almost immediately following the respective Olympic Games. All Paralympic Games are governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
The Paralympic movement has grown from a small gathering of British World War II veterans in 1948 to become one of the largest international sporting events by the early 21st century and keep growing. Paralympians strive for equal treatment with non-disabled Olympic athletes, but there is a large funding gap between Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
The Paralympic Games are organized in parallel with the Olympic Games, while the IOC recognized Special Olympics World Games include athletes with intellectual disabilities, and the Deaflympics include deaf athletes.
Given the wide variety of disabilities that Paralympic athletes have, there are several categories in which the athletes compete. The allowable disabilities are divided into ten eligible impairment types. These categories are further broken down into classifications, which vary from sport to sport. The classification system has led to cheating controversies revolving around athletes who over-stated their disabilities, in addition to the use of performance-enhancing drugs seen in other events.
