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The Better Disability? Essay

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The Better Disability? As a human with no physical or learning disabilities, I was relatively unaware of the culture and lifestyle of those with disabilities until I watched Murderball, a documentary that focuses on the U.S. quadriplegic rugby team. I was happy to find out that there are still many opportunities for disabled individuals to participate in sports. Through dedication and training, the athletes seem able to accomplish anything they set their mind to. Unfortunately, according to Lauren McKeon’s “Why Won’t You Let Me Play?”, which focuses on the discrimination that takes place within the Special Olympics, those with mental/learning disabilities are apparently not presented with such equal opportunities for success in sports. After looking at the Paralympics and Special Olympics through the lenses of Murderball and “Why Won’t You Let Me Play”, I have realized that people with mental disabilities do not have equal opportunities in sports and that this issue is not only prevalent in sports. Special Olympic athletes seem to have more difficulty defining their athletic pursuits in a coherent way, and to face far greater exclusion compared to Paralympic athletes in athletics, daily life, and American culture. Paralympic athletes are provided with more opportunities to succeed and advance in their respective sports, and their organizational mission seems more straightforward. In the film Murderball, Mark Zupan is shown talking to paraplegics at a hospital. He

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