International Sports Organisation for the Disabled (ISOD)

Whilst the international sporting interests of tetraplegic and paraplegic athletes was covered by the ISMWSF from 1952, the lack of opportunity open to other disability groups needed to be addressed.  In 1961, An International Working Group on Sports for the Disabled was formed, under the aegis of the World Veterans Federation, to evaluate and establish an International Organisation for Sport for all other disability groups.  In 1964 at the inaugural meeting of ISOD, a constitution was adopted by the founding national member organisations (Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Switzerland and the UK).

ISOD began its career under great challenge.  It was created as a concept without previous experience of international co-operation.  Initially, it was a slow and sometimes painful process to build ISOD up from the bottom to unite individual member organisations.  The leadership of Sir Ludwig Guttmann (President ISOD 1968 to 1979), and the opportunity to utilise the ISMGF Secretariat and sporting facilities at Stoke Mandeville, provided the catalyst to make progress towards the blue print for the future as an umbrella organisation encompassing both the needs of different disability groups under a universal sports policy and the unification of ex-service and civilian populations in this area.

Rule and classification development began on a disability specific basis with those for amputee athletes in the late 60’s and for blind athletes in the 70’s.  ISOD joined the Summer Paralympic Games programme in 1976 in Toronto, Canada, which were held under the aegis of ISMGF.  This joint venture proved very successful and paved he way for inter-federational cooperation for future Paralympic Games.  A great achievement was the establishment of Winter Paralympic Games for amputees and blind, the first being held in 1976 in Ornskoldsvic, Sweden.

Rules of sport were developed and published, including Alpine & Nordic and Volleyball.  ISOD created work groups to consider and formulate rules also for cerebral palsied athletes and, towards the end of the 70’s rules and classifications were included also for ‘les autres’.  It was from the mid 70’s to mid 80’s, with joint meeting and collaboration between ISMGF and ISOD relative to Games competition which created the pattern which ICC was to adopt and elaborate on for the co-ordination of the Paralympic Games from 1984 to 1992.

Multi-disabled Games were held in 1979 at Stoke Mandeville when 430 amputee, blind and cerebral palsied athletes from 24 countries participated in competition.  These Games provided the trial run for the 1980 Paralympic Games in Arnhem, the Netherlands.  Arnhem was to be the last time that cerebral palsied and blind athletes competed under the ISOD banner.  CP-ISRA and IBSA were to emerge as independent organisations in 1981.

ISOD has continued to maintain the responsibility and remit to safeguard the sporting interests of amputee and ‘les autres’ athletes, nurturing technical and medical expertise resources appropriate to this athlete community.  ISOD has focussed attention also on the development of new and existing sports such as Badminton and Football and the promotion of opportunity levels to its membership.  As a founder member of the IPC, ISOD maintains an active role at executive and technical level in the paralympic movement on behalf of its athlete community.

Key ISOD achievements:

  • Establishment of rules and classifications for sports for amputees, visually impaired, cerebral palsied and ‘les autres’ athletes in a wide range of sports
  • Pioneered the promotion of national unity vis a vis disability sport and created the conditions for national umbrella organisations (the NPC’s of today)
  • International Games competitions for these disability groups were established, initially at Stoke Mandeville
  • Sport and disability specific programmes were initiated
  • European ISOD (today’s Europc) was established
  • Joint patronage of the Paralympic Games with ISMWSF was established
  • Nurtured and gave birth to the independent international disability specific sporting organisations of CP-ISRA, IBSA and INAS-FMH
  • Established the winter disability sports programme and the first Winter Paralympic Games
  • Identified the benefits of co-operation and collaboration between IOSDs
  • Initiated the study groups and fora which were to establish the ICC (1988 – 1993) and its Successor, the IPC (1993 to date) and their respective governance of the Paralympic Games.