The representative school sport program offers students with a disability the opportunity to participate in an integrated environment with their peers at a Regional, State, National and in some cases, International level. It is usually up to the HOSES, AVT’s and therapists to identify these students and notify the school sport coordinator and / or PE teacher of their ability and desire to participate in the representative program.
At the Regional level, Athletes with a Disability (AWD) are invited to participate in the Met West Trial and if successful, attain Met West team selection alongside their able-bodies peers and compete at the Queensland School Sport State Championships in Swimming (10 - 12 Years and 13 - 19 Years), Cross Country (10 - 12 Years and 13 - 19 Years) and Track & Field (10 - 12 Years and 13 - 19 Years).
From this point, students are eligible for Queensland team selection for further honours including National Exchanges and every four years, the Pacific Schools' Games. At a National level athletes with a disability (AWD) are included in the Primary Track & Field exchange and Primary & Secondary Swimming Championships, Primary & Secondary Cross Country and every 4 years in the Pacific School Games. These students are selected from the State Championships in these events and included into the State teams. An AWD Manager is appointed using the same selection procedure as for all Managers and Coaches in Queensland School Sport.
It is important the students with a disability are included in representative school sport and it is equally important that the pathways for students' participation is clearly identified at the school, District and Regional level so that all students with a disability who have sporting ambition, talent and ability are given the opportunity to proceed.
The AWD categories included are those specified under the International Paralympic Committee classification process – Intellectual Impairment (II), Hearing Impairment (HI), Physical Impairment (PI) [including PI sub-categories Cerebral Palsy (CP), Spinal Chord Injury (SC), Amputee (A) and Les Autres (LA)] and Visual Impairment (VI). All AWD’s must be classified according to this international standard before competing at a State and National level. Classification Information is available from this webpage (see below).
To compete at the State Championships, students must be CLASSIFIED (either Temporary or Permanent) by the relevant State or National Sporting Organisation, as per below. Follow this link to go to view the Queensland School Sport Classification Guidelines document.
Qualifying Standards are calculated for each sport and are available through the Met West Office. Students wishing to nominate as an AWD for the Met West swimming, cross country or track & field Trials must do so through their school and in turn, be included in the District Team nominations for these events and compete at the Met West Trial. Follow this link to go to the Trials page of the website to view the Calendar of events.
STUDENTS WITH A VISUAL IMPAIRMENT (VI):
Provisional VI - Students for Provisional VI classification will be required to contact the Australian Paralympics Committee Development Officer (150 Caxton Street, Milton 4064) a minimum of TWO WEEKS PRIOR to an Ophthalmologist appointment. From here, APC will liaise with the Opthamologist and the approval process will continue.
National VI - Information available through APC or Sporting Wheelies & Disabled Association
STUDENTS WITH AN INTELLECTUAL IMPAIRMENT (II):
Minimum eligibility criteria for I.I.:
1. Significant impairment in intellectual functioning as indicated by a full scale score of 75 or lower on an internationally recognised and professionally administered IQ test (eg. a WISC-R or WAIS-III)
2. Significant limitations in adaptive behaviour as expressed in conceptual, social or practical adaptive skills
3. Developmental evidence of intellectual disability prior to 18 years of age
International Sports Federation for Persons with Intellectual Disability -Athlete Registration Package
STUDENTS WITH A HEARING IMPAIRMENT (HI):
Minimum eligibility for Hearing Impairment - 55db loss on the average at 500, 1000 and 2000Hz in the better ear. Please note that to meet the requirement for HI, a classified student must remove all hearing devices prior to competition.
HI Process (school sport only) - Please forward a copy of the athlete’s audiology report and permission form to Deaf Sport & Recreation Queensland (PO Box 1083, Stafford 4053).
STUDENTS WITH A PHYSICAL DISABILITY - For information please visit the Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association website. read more...