Paralympic games: The experience with “the other” through the screens

Abstract

The International Paralympic Committee, organization that regulates Paralympic sports, as well as some representatives of cities/countries that host the Paralympic Games claim that the latter are an important platform to change society’s perceptions of the capabilities of people with disabilities (PWD). In view of these statements, we have developed a research to verify whether individuals who have had contact with the Paralympic Games have changed their perception of the capabilities of PWD. The study was qualitative and exploratory. Data collection was based on semi-structured interviews conducted between April and July 2018. We interviewed 50 undergraduate students attending different courses at the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR). We carried out a thematic data analysis and relied on the Intergroup Contact Theory (ICT) to support the discussion. The results of this work reinforce the ICT thesis, according to which both direct and indirect contact with different groups can serve as a tool to reduce prejudices.