The process of the institutionalization of sport for individuals with disabilities in Brazil: a federal legislative analysis

Abstract

The scope of this study was to analyze the legal norms that have underpinned the alignment of organizational structures in the area of sports directed to individuals with disabilities in Brazil. The theoretical and methodological benchmark of the New Cultural History was based on the analysis of legal documents, as well as oral sources, which consist of three interviews with athletes who have experienced the period before the creation of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee. These sources were subjected to the technique of document analysis. The study has shown that the process of the institutionalization of sport for people with disabilities in Brazil was marked by a slow pace of consolidation, which directly influenced the actions of sports entities and the athletes' performance in competitions. With the creation of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee in 2005, the actions were centralized and a new Brazilwide structure was established. Since the second half of the 1990s, Brazilian Paralympic sport has made significant advances and reaped results in the Paralympic Games. The expectation is that this version of history will foster further studies and also preserve the sporting memory of the country that is hosting the Paralympic Games in 2016.