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Do you agree with the ban preventing athletes wih learning difficulties competing in the paralympics?

Shaun Webster
CHANGE self-advocacy group

It's against our human rights. They are discriminating against people with learning difficulties by separating them from people with other disabilities. It's like the organisers don't want us to be there. We should be able to join in. Just because you can't see my disabilities doesn't mean I don't have any.

Karen Shook
Disability equality adviser

The Paralympics "categorise" people so those with similar levels of impairment compete against each other reasonably equally. This is difficult with people with learning difficulties and gives greater opportunity for cheating. Until the categories change perhaps it is better to hold separate events.

Joan Scott
Director, Action Unlimited

It's wrong and it's rubbish to say the exclusion is because people might cheat and pretend they have a learning difficulty - so could people who say they have a physical disability pretend they need to use a wheelchair. And I don't agree with having another separate event as that is anti-inclusion.

Becca Cooper
York People First

Just because the Spanish basketball team pretended they had learning difficulties in the last Paralympics why should everybody with learning difficulties be excluded? If an athlete takes drugs only the individual is punished. The other thing that really annoys me is that the Olympics was on TV all the time but the Paralympics is hardly on at all.