SUMMER PARALYMPIC GAMES OVERVIEW 

Year Location Disabilities included Nº. of Countries Nº. of Athletes Highlights
2020 Tokyo (JPN) Spinal injury, Amputee, Vision Impairment, Cerebral Palsy, Les Autres, Intellectual Disability 162 4,393 Para badminton and Para taekwondo were added to the Paralympic programme for the first time.
2016 Rio (BRA) Spinal injury, Amputee, Vision Impairment, Cerebral Palsy, Les Autres, Intellectual Disability 160 4,328 Para Canoe and Para Triathlon added as sports bringing total number to 22
2012 London (GBR) Spinal injury, Amputee, Vision Impairment, Cerebral Palsy, Les Autres, Intellectual Disability 164 4,237 After an absence of 12 years intellectually disabled athletes competed in athletics, swimming and table tennis
2008 China (CHN) Spinal injury, Amputee, Vision Impairment, Cerebral Palsy, Les Autres 146 3.951 Rowing added as sport. Cumulated TV audience of 3.8 billion
2004 Athens (GRE) Spinal injury, Amputee, Vision Impairment, Cerebral Palsy, Les Autres 135 3,808 Football 5-a-side added as a sport
2000 Sydney (AUS) Spinal injury, Amputee, Vision Impairment, Cerebral Palsy, Les Autres, Intellectual Disability 123 3,879 Sailing and Wheelchair Rugby added as sports. Record ticket sales
1996 Atlanta (USA) Spinal injury, Amputee, Vision Impairment, Cerebral Palsy, Les Autres, Intellectual Disability 104 3,259 Equestrian added as a sport. Track cycling added as a discipline
1992 Barcelona (ESP) Spinal injury, Amputee, Vision Impairment, Cerebral Palsy, Les Autres 83 2,999 Event benchmark in organisational excellence
1988 Seoul (KOR) Spinal injury, Amputee, Vision Impairment, Cerebral Palsy, Les Autres 60 3,057 Judo and Wheelchair Tennis added as sports. Co-operation between Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committees. Shared venues with Olympics which has continued ever since
1984 Stoke Mandeville (GBR) & New York (USA) Spinal injury, Amputee, Vision Impairment, Cerebral Palsy, Les Autres 41 (GBR) 45 (USA) 1,100 (GBR) 1,800 (USA) Football 7-a-side and Boccia added as sports. Cycling added as a discipline. Wheelchair Racing included as demonstration event at Olympic Games
1980 Arnhem (NED) Spinal injury, Amputee, Vision Impairment, Cerebral Palsy, Les Autres 43 1,973 Sitting Volleyball added as a discipline. Events for athletes with Cerebral Palsy included
1976 Toronto (CAN) Spinal injury, Amputee, Vision Impairment, Les Autres 40 1,657 First use of specialised racing wheelchairs. Volleyball (Standing), Goalball and Shooting added as sports
1972 Heidelberg (GER) Spinal injury 43 984 First quadraplegic competition added. Demonstration events for vision impaired athletes
1968 Tel Aviv (ISR) Spinal injury 29 750 Lawn Bowls added as a sport
1964 Tokyo (JAP) Spinal injury 21 375 Weightlifting added as a sport
1960 Rome (ITA) Spinal injury 23 400 First Games with a disability held in same venues as Olympic Games