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China Adopts Amendment to Law on Protection of the Disabled
Last week, the Chinese government adopted a law amendment to better protect the country's more than 83 million persons with a disability, in the run-up to the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in September.

Low Cost Sport Wheelchairs One Step Closer to Mass Market
An exciting new initiative to design a low cost sport wheelchair for Basketball and Tennis is underway through a partnership between Motivation Charitable Trust, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF). The International Paralympic Committe (IPC) was instrumental in bringing the partners together to address a major gap in low cost high quality equipment currently available for athletes worldwide.

VISTA Conference Announced
Bonn, Germany - Today, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced that the fifth VISTA Conference will be held in Vancouver, Canada, from 22 to 26 March 2009. The Conference will follow the Chef de Mission Seminar for the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, held in Vancouver from 19 to 21 March 2009.

IPC Athletes' Council Prepares for Election
Over the last weekend, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletes’ Council (AC) met in Amman, Jordan, to discuss athlete-related topics on the agenda. While defining its strengths and opportunities during a strategic review session, the AC also discussed problems over the years and the threats that could be dealt with in the future.

Successful IPC Anti-Doping Programme
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is proud to announce that there were no anti-doping rule violations during the 2007/2008 IPC Alpine and Nordic Skiing World Cups. A total of 66 in-competition doping tests were conducted in both sports during the winter season 2007-2008.

First Co-ordination Commission Visit to Sochi
Bonn, Germany - Today, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Co-ordination Commission for the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games concluded its first visit to the Russian host city.

Forum in Doha Focused on Sport for Persons with a Disability
The city of Doha (Qatar) recently hosted the third Annual International Forum on Children with Special Needs.

IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup on ParalympicSport.TV
The Alpine Skiing season has come to an end. Before the summer starts, it’s time to take a break and have a look at this year’s action around the globe!

IPC Medical Director Attends FIMS Meeting
In April 2008, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Medical and Scientific Director Dr. Peter Van de Vliet was invited by the International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS) FIMS to attend the FIMS Executive Committee meeting in Hong Kong, China, to present current IPC initiatives in the area of Medical Services and Sports Medicine/Sports Science.

Beijing Repair Service Provided by Otto Bock
The Otto Bock HealthCare, worldwide partner of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), is the official repair service provider of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games for prosthetics and wheelchairs. The contract between Otto Bock and BOCOG safeguards the more than 4,000 athletes expected to compete in September.

Nike Extends Sponsorship of US Teams Through 2012
Last week, Nike announced the extension of its relationship with the US Olympic Committee (USOC) as an Official Outfitter of the US Olympic and Paralympic Teams through the London 2012 Games.

Experts Discuss Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games Website
Last week, more than 20 specialists from the China Disabled Persons Federation (CDPF) and the Beijing 2008 Organizing Committee for Olympic and Paralympic Games (BOCOG) gathered in Beijing, China, to contribute to building an excellent official Games-time website for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

'Feel the Rush' is Back
The Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) has recently announced the return of the successful “Feel the Rush” campaign. The original launch occurred in 2006 and was met with much success and progress for the Movement.

Paralympic Representatives on IOC Commissions
Lausanne, Switzerland - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently announced the composition of its IOC Commissions for 2008. In several of these Commissions, representatives of the Paralympic Movement also contribute to the meetings and help to guide the IOC and the Organizing Committees for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in their missions.

WADA Symposium for Sport Federations
From 1 to 2 April, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) organized a symposium to allow International Federations (IFs) and WADA to exchange information and views on recent developments in the area of anti-doping and anti-doping administration, particularly on World Anti-Doping Code (WADC) compliance and IF roles and responsibilities with regard to the implementation of the revised WADC by 1 January 2009.