From Humble Beginnings to Para-Sport Powerhouse
The Ontario Cerebral Palsy Sports Association (OCPSA) was founded in 1981 as a registered charitable organization for the delivery of sport to persons with cerebral palsy. At that time, sport was viewed as a tool for the rehabilitation of people with a disability. However, this focus on rehabilitative medicine and therefore a person’s disability, rather than a focus on sport, did nothing to promote high-performance aspirations or sport specialization.
OCPSA evolved over the next two decades with the growth of the para-sport movement in Canada. Sport for persons with a disability moved from the medical model to a sport-focused one. OCPSA embraced this new philosophy and shifted focus from the delivery of many sports — powerlifting, track and field, boccia, slalom, swimming — to specializing in a couple.
Today, OCPSA is a leading sport organization in the province for persons with a disability, focused on sport development, participation and performance for athletes in Para-Athletics (Track and Field) and Boccia.
