Six-time Paralympic medalist Becca Meyers has quit the US Olympic team after being told her personal care assistant (PCA) cannot accompany her to enable her to navigate Tokyo and the Olympic facilities. And Meyers, a deaf-blind swimmer, is not alone. Athletes have been turning down nominations to Team USA after learning about limited accessibility and accommodation at the Games. For example, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) intends to provide one PCA for the entire 34-member Paralympic swim team, adding that the team’s 6 coaches will also be available to assist with personal needs (J. Owens, Deaf-blind Paralympian quits Team USA when told she can’t bring assistant to Tokyo, Yahoo Sports, 19-Jul-2021). Citing COVID restrictions, these athletes have been told this is for safety reasons.
How does limiting accessibility contribute to safety? How can 1 PCA be expected to support 34 diverse athletes at once? Since when are Olympic coaches skilled in PCA work? I thought this was the Paralympics. What happened to the International Paralympic Committee ‘s vision to “Make for an inclusive world through Para sport?”
What do you think?
