REVIEW OF THE 2015 IPC ATHLETE CLASSIFICATION CODE

The review of the 2015 IPC Athlete Classification Code was approved by the IPC Governing Board in January 2021. It will be an extensive three-year process, with open consultation at its core. This page will keep you updated with developments throughout.

The first round of consultation is now open until 17 September 2021 – full details are below.

 

“It is an exciting opportunity for all to play their part in creating a better, more equitable Paralympic Movement.”

— Scott Field, Chair of the Code Drafting Team

CODE REVIEW PROCESS

While classification is a complex and ever-evolving area, improving the IPC Athlete Classification Code is seen as essential for the continued development of the Paralympic Movement. 

The Code Drafting Team has already been established by the IPC Governing Board to oversee the Review. Its role is to obtain and analyse stakeholder feedback, and to determine how best to incorporate such feedback into the working drafts of the new Code. It will be led by an independent chair, Scott Field. The South African swimmer, who competed in the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Paralympics, will lead on presenting to the IPC General Assembly, Governing Board and Membership. 

At this stage, it is envisaged that implementation of the new IPC Athlete Classification Code will be January 2025 for summer sports and July 2026 for winter sports. The current 2015 IPC Athlete Classification Code and accompanying International Standards remain in place and fully effective until the new Code’s implementation date. 

The documents below contain more detailed information on the procedure and timescales of the Code review, as well as the composition of the Code Drafting Team.

• 2015 IPC Athlete Classification Code Review Process (English)
• 2015 IPC Athlete Classification Code Review Process (French)
• 2015 IPC Athlete Classification Code Review Process (Spanish)
• Code review announcement (15 March 2021)

CONSULTATION 

Gathering feedback through consultation is at the heart of the Code review. Extensive feedback will be gathered and analysed by the Code Drafting Team through three phases of open consultation which will take place from 2021-2023:

•    Phase 1 consultation – open now until 17 September 2021
•    Phase 2 consultation – anticipated June to August 2022
•    Phase 3 consultation - anticipated March to May 2023

There will be regular meetings and calls with the IPC Membership throughout the consultation phases, and a series of education sessions, particularly once the final documents are published in 2024. The Code Drafting Team will also be supported by several sub-groups, who will lead on the drafting of the various supporting documents. 

Feedback is encouraged from anyone with an interest in classification across the Movement. Consultation will also include stakeholder feedback from the IPC Athletes’ Council, IPC Medical Committee, IPC Science and Research Working Group, IPC Board of Appeal of Classification, classifiers, human rights experts, and other appropriate experts.

PHASE 1: SUBMIT YOUR FEEDBACK

The first phase of consultation is now open until 17 September 2021.

In this first phase, you will have the opportunity to submit feedback on each and every article of the Code and International Standards. Feedback is also sought on some wider issues regarding classification.

Anybody can submit their feedback but please be aware that all feedback submitted will be published. By submitting feedback, you agree to your name and/or organisation being published and being available along with your feedback on the IPC website. Feedback will not be anonymised.

Feedback should be submitted via our online Phase 1 consultation page below. As progress is not saved, you may wish to prepare your responses offline and submit your feedback in one sitting. If so, we recommend that you first review the structure and questions of the consultation in the separate overview document below.

• Phase 1 Consultation – Feedback form overview
• Phase 1 Consultation – SUBMIT YOUR FEEDBACK HERE

DON’T DELAY!

The consultation form is not as daunting as it may first appear. Rather than 94 questions that you must answer, instead, it gives you 94 opportunities to provide feedback on any part of the Code that you wish. It is comprehensive because the consultation naturally must cover all aspects of the Code. However, the parts of the Code that you do not want to provide feedback on can be left completely blank. 

OPTIONS FOR ATHLETE FEEDBACK

The Athlete voice is crucial to the success of the Code review, and we especially recognise that athletes competing at Tokyo will be focussed on the Games. We have therefore opened more ways for athletes to participate in the Code review’s phase 1 consultation. 

Whilst the consultation form remains the optimal way to submit feedback, if it is easier for athletes (particularly those competing in Tokyo), then they can share their feedback on the current Code and the Code review to us directly by email at [email protected] before 17 September 2021. If utilising this route, please ensure athlete’s full name and sport is provided, using email subject title “Code review: Athlete feedback”.

Alternatively, athletes are encouraged to pass on their feedback to their NPC or IF athlete representative and the Athletes Council, who will be able to feedback to us directly. Athletes are also able to contact the athlete representatives on the Code Drafting Team.  As a reminder all feedback will be publicly available and will not be anonymised. 

This is only the first of three consultation phases so there remains plenty of opportunities for everyone to participate in the Code review over the coming years. 

GENERAL QUERIES

For any other assistance on submitting feedback or for general queries on the Code review, please contact [email protected]