Athletics has been contested at every Summer Paralympics since the first games in 1960

1960 Summer Paralympics

The 1960 Summer Paralympics, originally known as the 9th Annual International Stoke Mandeville Games, were the first international Paralympic Games, following on from the Stoke Mandeville Games of 1948 and 1952. They were organised under the aegis of the International Stoke Mandeville Games...

. Men and women from all disability groups compete in the sport.

Some athletes use wheelchair

Wheelchair

A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...

s or prosthetic limbs

Prosthesis

In medicine, a prosthesis, prosthetic, or prosthetic limb is an artificial device extension that replaces a missing body part. It is part of the field of biomechatronics, the science of using mechanical devices with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems to assist or enhance motor control...

.

Visually impaired athletes participate in running events with the help of a sighted guide

Sighted guide

A sighted guide is a person who guides a person with blindness or vision impairment.-Paralympic Games:At the Paralympic Games there are various classifications of athletes with a visual impairment....

, to whom they may be attached by a tether

Tether

A tether is a cord, fixture, or signal that anchors something movable to a reference point which may be fixed or moving. There are a number of applications for tethers: balloons, kites, tethered wind-energy conversion systems, anchors, tethered water-flow energy conversion systems, towing, animal...

. Sound-emitting devices or a sighted "caller" are used to indicate target areas for throwing events, take-off points for jumping events, and other important locations for visually impaired competitors.

Classification

Athletes compete in various classes which group them according to their impairments and abilities.

Class	Criteria
T/F11	From no light perception at all in either eye, up to and including the ability to perceive light; inability to recognize objects or contours in any direction and at any distance.
T/F12	Ability to recognise objects up to a distance of 2 metres i.e. below 2/60 and/or visual field of less than five (5) degrees
T/F13	Can recognise contours between 2 and 6 metres away i.e. 2/60 O 6/60 and visual field of more than five (5) degrees and less than twenty (20) degrees.
T/F20	Athletes who have a recognised intellectual impairment according to international standards as recognised by the World Health Organisation i.e. IQ testing of 75 and below.
T/F33	Moderate quadriplegia. Fair functional strength and moderate problems in upper extremities and torso. Wheelchair for daily activities but may be ambulant with assistive devices.
T/F34	Moderate to severe problems in lower limbs, good functional strength and minimal control problems in upper limbs and torso. Wheelchair for daily activities but may be ambulant with assistive devices
T/F35	Good functional strength and minimal control problems in upper limbs. No wheelchair. May or may not use assistive devices.
T/F36	Greater upper limb involvement, less coordination / balance problems when running or throwing. Ambulates without walking devices.
T/F37	Moderate to minimal hemiplegia (i.e. one half of the body affected - arm and leg on same side). Good functional ability in non affected side. Walks / runs without assistive devices, but with a limp.
T/F38	Minimal hemiplegia. May have minimal coordination problems, good balance. Runs and jumps freely
T40	Dwarfism. Height limit, Males 145cm, Females 140cm.
T42	Single leg, above or through knee amputation. Combined lower plus upper limb amputations. Minimal disability.
T43	Double leg, below knee amputation. Combined lower plus upper limb amputations. Normal function in throwing arm.
T44	Single leg below knee amputation. Combined lower plus upper limb amputations. Ambulant with moderately reduced function in one or both lower limbs
T45	Double arm above elbow. Double arm below elbow
T46	Single arm, above elbow. Single arm, below elbow. Normal function in both lower limbs. Other impairments in trunk. Upper limb function in throwing.
T52	Damage to spinal cord in the higher parts of the back. Substantially impaired or no trunk function; no leg function. Pushing power comes from elbow extensions.
T53	Impaired trunk movements, some with no spinal control. Some interference in their ability to perform long and forceful strokes and the ability to rapidly grasp and release the pushing rim of the wheel.
T54	Have normal or nearly normal upper limb function. May have no upper trunk movements and when pushing, the trunk is usually lying on the legs. Those with almost normal trunk function are able to perform long and forceful strokes. Double above the knee amputations.
F52	Limited arm function. Difficulty gripping with non-throwing arm. Shot - Unable to form a fist and therefore do not usually have finger contact with the shot at the release point. Discus - Have difficulty placing fingers over the edge of the discus. Javelin - Usually grip the Javelin between the index and middle fingers, or between the middle and ring fingers.
F53	Have nearly normal grip with non-throwing arm. Shot - Usually a good fist can be made. Can spread fingers apart and can 'grasp' the shot put when throwing. Discus - Have good finger function to hold the discus and may be able to impart spin on the discus. Are able to spread and close the fingers, but not with normal power. Javelin - Usually grip javelin between the thumb and the index finger. Have ability to hold javelin.
F54	Normal arm function; no trunk or leg function. Shot, Discus and Javelin - Have no sitting balance and usually hold onto part of chair whilst throwing
F55	Some trunk function; no leg function. Fair to good sitting balance.
F56	Trunk function with some upper leg function. Good balance and movements backwards and forwards.
F57	Usually one 'good' leg and one 'bad' leg. Good movements backwards and forwards, usually to one side. Can raise from a sitting to a standing position with assistance during the throw.
F58	Seated. Better function than F57 athletes, but not enough to stand to throw. Usually similar impairment in both legs.