Abstract

Eligibility assessments for athletes with intellectual impairment are critical to ensure fair participation while safeguarding athlete welfare. This article synthesizes key challenges across multiple domains: multilingual athletes, stress and anxiety during testing, attention deficits, reliability and validity of tests, risks of misrepresentation, limited access to assessment background, and co-occurring disabilities (e.g., hearing or visual impairments). We highlight methodological considerations, policy implications, and recommendations for practice to improve equity and accuracy in eligibility determinations.

Introduction

In elite and para-sport contexts, eligibility criteria for intellectual impairment aim to balance inclusion with integrity of competition. However, assessments are complex when applied to diverse athlete populations. Intellectual impairment (II) often coexists with multilingual backgrounds, attentional variability, and sensory or motor comorbidities. These factors can influence test performance, interpretation of cognitive and adaptive functioning, and the reliability of eligibility decisions. This article outlines the principal challenges and proposes strategies to enhance the fairness and effectiveness of assessment processes.