Detailed Scientific Programme – VISTA 2025

VISTA 2025 Preliminary Scientific Programme As of July 2025
(subject to change)

Day 1: Sunday, 7 December 2025
09:00 – 19:00	Conference Registration
10:00 –12:00	Private Meetings
13:00 – 14:30	Session 1 – Social Cultural Presentations Unequal Terrain: Historical and Structural Barriers to the Participation and Progress of Women in Para Sports – Nidhi Mishra Exploring Lived Experiences of Kenyan Para-Athletes: Turning Barriers into Possibilities – Stephen Ojwang Transforming Public Engagement in Supporting People with Disabilities in Iran: A Socio-Cultural Model Advancing the Paralympic Movement through National Collaboration – Maryam; Masoud Shokouhi, Ashrafi Khozani Parasport Brazil + Accessible: Evidence, Organization, and Knowledge Dissemination for Sustainable Development – Ciro Winckler The Paralympic Pathway: Representation of Athletes with Intellectual Impairments in the Paralympic Games since their reinclusion in 2012 – Jan Burns	Session 2 – Classification Presentations Classification process: How do Turkish para-athletes interpret the experience? – Tugba Kulle Challenging Summation in IWBF Classification: Towards Evidence-Based Functional Validity – Hossein Shahr Abadi Return to sport in basketball players after lower limb injury and potential applications to wheelchair basketball eligibility: a scoping review – Javier Pérez Tejero Wheelchair handball classification system: purpose and validation evidence-based – Nuno Januário Surfing Performance in Kneeling Para Surfers with Spinal Cord Injuries, Amputations, and Cerebral Palsy – Maureen Johnson Towards an Evidence-Based Biomechanical Characterization of Para-Standing Tennis – Laura Gastaldi
14:30 – 15:00	Coffee Break Venue
15:00 – 16:00	Keynote Address Danielle Peers, PhD
16:00 – 17:30	Invited Symposium Social Cultural importance of support within Para Sport Moderator Dr. P. David Howe Speaker 1 Amanda Lowery – PhD student – University of Waikato (New Zealand) – to be delivered virtually. Broad Topic: Auto ethnography of high support needs Speaker 2 Staci Mannella – PhD student – Ball State University (USA) – to be delivered in person Broad Topic: The socio-cultural significance of being guided Speaker 3 Dr Andrea Bundon – Associate Professor School of Kinesiology – University of British Columbia (Canada) – to be delivered in person Broad Topic: The socio-cultural significance of guiding Panelist discussion / Audience Q&A
17:30 – 19:00	Opening Ceremony Paralympic Honour Recipient IPC Scientific Award Winner and Keynote IPC President (Opening Remarks)
19:00 – 20:00	Opening Reception

Day 2: Monday, 8 December 2025
08:00 – 17:00	Conference Registration
08:30 – 09:25	Keynote Address Wayne Derman, MD
09:30 – 11:00	Session 3 – Medical Presentations Characterization of Healthcare Services Provided by the Medical Staff during the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Game – Raul Smith-Plaza Health profiles of African Para athletes from Periodic Health Evaluations during the 2023 and 2025 Commonwealth Games Federations (GAPS) camps – Faatima Adam Epidemiological Surveillance of Illnesses in Paralympic Athletes: Evidence from Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 – Sercan Yilli Urinary Symptoms and Sexual Dysfunction in National Level Wheelchair Rugby Male Athletes with Spinal Cord Injury – Erica Gavel-Pinos Protective effect of high cardiorespiratory fitness against low-grade chronic inflammation in Paralympic Athletes with a locomotor impairment – Marco Bernardi The Paralympic Athlete Voice: Understanding Team USA Para Athletes’ Experiences – Ashley Triplett	Session 4 – Medical Presentations Advancing Concussion Assessment for Para Sport Athletes Through the Para SCAT6-WC Initiative – Eric Post Understanding concussion assessment and management in elite para athletes with vision impairment: a Delphi study – Kristine Dalton Development of a Tandem Gait Alternative for Concussion Assessment in Para-Sport Athletes: Preliminary Effects of Sex, Concussion History, and Dual-Task – Ryan Moran Head acceleration in five-a-side football players with visual impairment: A laboratory-based exploratory study – Kristina Fagher Mood, Sleep, and Stress of Support Staff During the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games – Antonia Rossiter Exploring Concussion Sustainment, Identification, Management, and Recovery in Canadian Athletes who are Blind or Visually Impaired – Kristine Dalton
11:00 – 11:30	Coffee Break and Poster Session Add venue
11:30 – 13:00	Invited Symposium Classification in Paralympic sport: criteria to draw the eligibility line(s) Moderator Yves Vanlandewijck Speaker 1 Emma Beckman Broad Topic: Biomedical perspective. Speaker 2 Jonas Schmidt Christensen Broad Topic: Ethical perspective. Speaker 3 Erica Gavel Broad Topic: Athletes’ perspective. Speaker 4 Dr David Howe Broad Topic: Athletes’ perspective. Q&A All speakers
13:00 – 14:30	Lunch Add venue
14:30 – 16:00	Invited Symposium Protecting the health of the Paralympic Athlete Moderator Dr Wayne Derman Speaker 1 Dr Kristina Fahger – Lund University Sweden. Broad Topic: Beyond the podium: Longitudinal monitoring of health and well-being in Para athletes for enhanced performance and success Speaker 2 Dr Abdullah Al Rahoomi – UAE. Broad Topic: Maximizing health and wellbeing: Periodic health assessment strategies for Para athletes Speaker 3 Dr Cheri Blauwett – Harvard University USA. Broad Topic: Brain Health- a contemporary exploration of Para athlete mental health and concussion. Panel discussion All speakers
16:05 – 17:35	Session 5 – Classification/Medical Presentations ‘We make a plan’: a qualitative study describing healthcare pathways, perceptions, and experiences of Para athletes and coaches from African countries – Faatima Adam Psychological monitoring and follow-up procedures in Spanish Paralympic athletes: Our experience – Manuela Rodriguez Marote Psychological strain among national team para-athletes and its association with training load and coach–athlete relationship in Jordan – Omar Hindawi Can we improve the Vision impaired (VI) sports classification process to augment measures of an athlete’s real-world visual status? – Julie-Anne Little Eye tracking for the classification of visual function in athletes with vision impairment – David Mann Toward an Evidence-Based Classification System in Blind Baseball: Delphi Study – Sultan AKEL	Session 6 – Classification Presentations Para Swimming Classification System for Physical Impairments: Fairness perceptions of athletes and key stakeholders – Henry Velarde The effect of muscle fatigue on two objective tests for coordination impairment – A study in adults without impairments – Viola C. Altmann Assessment of Symmetry and Consistency in Individuals without Impairments in Bound and Triple Hop Tests used for Para-Athletics Classification – Deanne Fay Could Unilateral Assessments and Asymmetry Metrics Support Sport Class Allocation in Footballers with Cerebral Palsy? – Matías Henríquez Intellectual Impairment Cognitive features in Para Sailing Classification – Stephen Wilson Soft Skills for Performance: Coaches’ Perspectives in Sports for Athletes with Intellectual Disabilities – Charlotte Messiaen
18:00 – 21:00	Social/Cultural Event

Day 3: Tuesday, 9 December 2025
08:30 – 09:25	Keynote Address Rory A. Cooper, PhD, PLY
09:30 – 11:00	Session 7 – Technology Presentations Using Virtual Reality as a Tool to Enhance Psychological State in the Paris 2024 Paralympics: An Analytical Evaluative Study – Esraa Alaa Biomechanical mechanisms underlying propulsive force generation in wheelchair racing athletes -Mikito Hikosaka Artificial Intelligence and Live Sports Analysis in Radio – Sanaz Ehsani Pilot Study on Glove Material Effects in Wheelchair Racing Propulsion Using IMU Sensors – Tomi Vanttinen On the Move pad – a portable multipurpose pad: User feedback – Rosemarie Cooper The Effectiveness of Using Artificial Intelligence to Evaluate the Performance of Running for Children with Intellectual Disability – Ashraf Marie	Session 8 – Performance Presentations Kinetic Analysis of the Surfing Pop-up in Standing Competitive Adaptive Surfers with Prosthetics – Maureen Johnson A Study of Javelin Performance in Elite Paralympic Throwers Across Seated and Standing Functional Classes – Mostafa Bahrami Effects of Thorax Immobilization on Fixed-Seat Ergometer Rowing Performance – Cecilia Severin Physiological and Biochemical Responses and 400-m Performance in T54 Wheelchair Athletes during Four Weeks of Altitude Training – Wang Fei Sprint and Change of Direction Velocity in Wheelchair Rugby Players – Beatriz Lucena Ramos Relationship between finish time and peak velocity in T54 400–1500-m wheelchair racing at the 2024 Para Athletics World Championships – Haruhiko Goto
11:00 – 11:30	Coffee Break and Poster Session Add venue
11:30 – 13:00	Invited Symposium Advances in Technology for ParaSport: Perspectives on Emerging Technologies Moderator Dr Rory Cooper Speaker 1 Urs Schneider Broad Topic: Advances in Prosthetics and Exoskeletons. Speaker 2 Garrett Grindle Broad Topic: 3D Printing Applications for ParaSport. Q&A All speakers
13:00 – 14:30	Lunch Add venue
14:30 – 16:00	Invited Symposium Unlocking Potential: The Science of Talent Identification and Data Analytics in Paralympic Sport This session explores how performance data is transforming talent identification and personalised training in wheelchair basketball and rugby. Moderated by Vicky Goosey-Tolfrey, the discussion will feature Tom O’Brien’s innovative performance dashboard developed for strength and conditioning and measuring performance in Paralympic athletes (technical and physiological data) providing insights into the usage of data and informed decision-making. Joesph Baker will share perspectives on talent identification, data science, and evidence-based decision-making, while athlete Erica Gavel-Pinos and Allysa Seely offers a firsthand view of data’s impact on training, progression, and team selection from both an athlete and research perspective. The session will also examine the ethical and practical responsibilities in using data for athlete selection in Para sport. Moderator Ms. Vicky Tolfrey Speaker 1 Tom O’Brien Broad Topic: The use of data and analytics in the daily training environment Speaker 2 Joseph Baker Broad Topic: Challenges and considerations in data and analytics when making “evidence-based” decisions. Speaker 3 Erica Gavel-Pinos Broad Topic: Pros and cons on the use of data from an athletes’ perspective. Speaker 4 Allysa Seely, PLY Broad Topic: Pros and cons on the use of data from an athletes’ perspective in individual sport
16:05 – 17:35	Poster Session and Exhibition	Session 9 – Technology/Performance Presentations Applied Research Strategies for Sustainable Innovation in Para Sport Technology and Equipment – Jennifer Dornstauder Mechanomyographic evaluation of wrist muscle activation in athletes with disabilities – Ketlin Mikaela Medeiros Santos Design and Development of a Hexagonal Testing System for the assessment of directional Reaction Time in Sitting Volleyball Athletes – Shirin Yazdani Cultural Intelligence, Conflict Resolution, and Sporting Success in Iranian Paralympic Athletes: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis – Zohreh Meshkati Psychosocial Characteristic Considerations for Talent Identification of the Elite Para Athlete – Allysa Seely Game Statistic-Based Performance Indicators in Wheelchair Basketball: A Systematic Review of Trends and Insights – Javier Pérez Tejero
19:00 – 22:00	Gala Dinner – (Dress Code: Business Attire minimum)

Day 4: Wednesday, 10 December 2025
08:30 – 09:30	Keynote Address Mike McNamee, PhD
09:30 – 10:00	Coffee Break and Poster Session Add venue
10:00 – 11:00	Session 10 – Performance Presentations How athletes with vision impairment use their eyes to hit a ball – David Mann Training Camps as Psychosocial Interventions in Para-Sport: Promise, Pressure, and Possibility – Katie Cronin Ti: Gross motor changes in swimmers with cerebral palsy (GMFCS IV): a single-case experimental design with 30-month follow-up – Sean Tweedy Entrenamiento de pliometría para mejorar la fuerza explosiva en Maylin Lascano deportista de ParaPowerlifting – Apunte Sanny	Session 11 – Ethics and Integrity Presentations Normality and Disability in Para sport, and their application in the International Paralympic Committee Handbook: a philosophical critique – Danielle Mercado UN CRPD Article 30 and Sport: A Comparative Analysis of European State Reports – Ana Geppert Paralympic School Project for Youth and Adults with Disabilities – Luiz Gustavo T.F. Santos Safeguarding Insights for Athletes with Disabilities – U.S. Center for SafeSport 2024 Athlete Culture and Climate Survey – Nikka Tahan
11:00 – 12:30	Invited Symposium Ethics and Integrity Moderator Mr. Michael McNamee Co-Moderators Dr. Debbie Alexander and Prof Mostafa Ewees Speaker 1 Dr Marwan Hellal – Western University. Canada – to be delivered in person Broad Topic: Ethical aspects of AI use in the Paralympics. Speaker 2 Prof Yetsa Tuakli Wosornu: Stanford University, USA. Broad Topic: Girls like us take precautions to play: Historicizing gender-based violence and other ethical concerns in modern Kenyan Para sport Speaker 3 Mr Gael Riviere: President Handisport PLY, France – to be delivered in person. Broad Topic: The concept of Inclusion and the nature of “Blind Sport” Open discussion
12:30 – 14:00	Lunch
14:00 – 14:15	Keynote Address Heba Hagrass, PhD
14:15 – 17:30	Closing Ceremony Mike Peters (Closing Remarks)