Eligibility and Classification

Classification and Eligibility in sport exists so that athletes with a disability have equal opportunities to compete and be successful in sport. Classification groups athletes who have similar impairments together into classes for competition in their sport. Each Paralympic sport has a different classification system and classification may be based on a physical, intellectual or visual impairment.

Deaf Sports Classification

The purpose of the Deaf Sports classification process, is to inform all organisations of what sporting level you are eligible to enter. Different competitions have different eligibility codes.

Classification is a process that is done at Deaf Sports Australia. All applications will be sent to the Classification team at Deaf Sports Australia. Once processed, applicants will then receive a classification letter confirming the eligibility status of the athlete in both Deaf-run sport events (eg; Deaflympics) and mainstream sport events (eg; national championships).

To find out more information about classification for Deaf Sports, please go to https://deafsports.org.au/classification/

Blind Sports Classification

Athletes with a vision impairment compete in Paralympic sports such as Alpine Skiing, Athletics, Cycling, Equestrian, Goalball, Rowing, Sailing, Swimming and Triathlon. Athletes must specify a sport when they are seeking classification. The testing procedure is standard across all Paralympic sports; however, the classes are sports specific.

Athletes are classified according to their level of corrected vision and must have an impairment in BOTH eyes that meet the minimal disability criteria of:

Visual acuity that is less than or equal to LogMAR = 1.00 (6/60) and/or
Visual field that is less than a radius of 20 degrees

To find out more information about classification for Blind Sports, please go to https://www.blindsportsaustralia.com.au/visual-impairment-classification

Sport Inclusion Australia Eligibility and Classification

Sport Inclusion Australia is responsible for managing the national eligibility process for athletes wishing to compete within the intellectual impairment classification.

The eligibility criteria define the minimum impairment necessary to compete as an athlete with an intellectual impairment.

National Eligibility

Eligibility has been introduced to promote the growth of eligibility classification within Australia.

National Eligibility with Sport Inclusion Australia does not guarantee that athletes will meet Virtus International classification and will not permit athletes to enter Virtus World Championships and International Paralympic Committee, IPC, sanctioned events.

International Eligibility and Classification

There are three (3) levels of Inas International classification for athletes with an intellectual impairment.

Level 1 Provisional International Eligibility –which permits entry to Virtus Developmental Events.
Level 2 Full Primary Eligibility – which permits entry to Virtus Regional, World Championships and Global Games.
Level 3 Sport Specific Classification – which is necessary for Paralympic Sports.

Virtus governs the first two levels, but Level three is governed by the Federation for the specific sport.

To find out more information about eligibility and classification for intellectual impairment, go to https://sportinclusionaustralia.org.au/eligibility