Do the Paralympic Games empower the disability sport community?

Like many other contemporary sporting institutions, the Paralympic Games have made the transition from pastime to spectacle, and the profile of athletes with disabilities has been increased as a result. This book reviews the current status of the Paralympics and challenges the mainstream assumption that the Games are a vehicle for empowerment of the disabled community.

Using ethnographic methods unique in this area of study, P. David Howe has undertaken an innovative and critical examination of the social,...