Some 4,200 athletes from 164 nations competed in 20 sporting events in the recent Paralympic Games. Yet the U.S. host broadcaster, NBC, decided to air only four hour-long highlights packages on its sports channel, compared to its wall-to-wall coverage of the Summer Olympics. Yet while the U.S. is a leader in disability rights, our guest Eli Wolff says that when it comes to the realm of sports, it’s “a major challenge to see people with disabilities as being rightfully part of that community, as being athletic.”

DemocracyNow.org – Despite being a major sporting event, the largest Paralympics in history barely made headlines over the past week despite attracting 4,200 athletes from 164 countries and selling out stadiums for every session before it even began. The U.S. host broadcaster, NBC, decided to air only four hour-long highlights packages on its sports channel compared to its wall-to-wall coverage of the Olympics. The Paralymics were initiated by a group of British World War II veterans in 1948 and since grown into an international competition known for its world class athletes and spirit of inclusivity. We’re joined by Eli Wolff, a professor and former national paralympic soccer player who helped draft the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2003, and is still recognized as a leader in the field today.

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