The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) produced in co-operation with one of its Gold Patrons, Allianz, six video clips that portray different Paralympic athletes on their way to Beijing.

Bonn, Germany - Today marks the 60th anniversary of the first Stoke Mandeville Games. Following World War II, traditional methods of rehabilitation could not meet the medical and psychological needs of large numbers of soldiers and civilians with a disability. At the request of the British government, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann founded the National Spinal Injuries Centre at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Great Britain in 1944 and introduced sport as a form of recreation and as an aid for remedial treatment and rehabilitation.

The Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee (VANOC) officially launched the Vancouver Venues’ Aboriginal Art Programme earlier this month. This ambitious programme for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games will provide a platform for Aboriginal artists in Canada to participate in the Games.

Earlier this month, the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of the Netherlands joined together with the country’s National Olympic Committee to present the official Paralympic and Olympic Teams for the Beijing 2008 Games. This was the first time the presentation was organized with both Committees together and on such a large scale.

The semi-finals of the 2008 Wimbledon Doubles Masters Series are now available on www.ParalympicSport.TV.

The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) is significantly closer to its goal of hosting doping-free Games in 2010 with two major announcements on the anti-doping programme and laboratory for the 2010 Winter Games.

The Beijing 2008 Organizing Committee (BOCOG) has officially announced their basis for selection of the distinguished torchbearers for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Torch Relay. There will be a total of 850 people participating in the exciting event.

Through a policy of rotation, there are vacant positions on the following World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Working Committees: Athlete Committee, Education Committee, Finance and Administration Committee, as well as Health, Medical and Research Committee.

The revised World Anti-Doping Code (WADC) was approved unanimously by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Foundation Board in November 2007. This new code will come into force on 1 January 2009, significantly affecting all international sporting authorities at that time.

Today, the International Paralympic Committee officially announced the eligible candidates for the 2008 IPC Athletes’ Council (AC) Election.

The OR@S is the centre of Samsung’s on-site Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic activities. First debuting at the Sydney 2000 Games, the OR@S Pavilion is an engaging venue offering a relaxing lounge area for athletes and their fans and family members. The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games are the first time that Samsung will operate its OR@S during the Paralympics.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) welcomes all National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) to apply for hosting the VISTA 2011 Conference.

People with a visual impairment in Beijing now have tactile access to two competition venues for the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Last week, the 11th National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China has ratified a bill submitted by the Central Government for China’s accession to the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). China has actively advocated and supported to the UN in its efforts in formulating the CRPD Convention.

A preparatory workshop on the IPC Observers’ Programme for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games was concluded successfully in Beijing, China on 26 June. Representatives from the Organizing Committees of all future Paralympic Games (Vancouver 2010, London 2012 and Sochi 2014), all Candidate Cities for the Paralympic Games of 2016 (Chicago, Madrid, Rio and Tokyo) and Guangzhou Asian Para-Games 2010 took part in the workshop.