What is

Abilympics

Abilympics originates from the phrase, 'Olympics of Abilities'. It is an international vocational skills competition for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and aims to showcase the potential capabilities of PWDs that they have skills on par with normal persons, and therefore encourages a surge in employment opportunities for them.

Abilympics in Malaysia was introduced in 1985 when MCR organised a National Abilympics competition in conjunction with National Welfare Week. In 1995, Malaysia’s first global participation was seen at the Fourth International Abilympics in Perth, Australia.

In 2002, the MCR Abilympics Committee was revived when Datin Paduka (Dato’) Khatijah Suleiman was appointed as the EXCO Committee member of the International Abilympics Federation (IAF). With this, MCR became the official Malaysian Abilympics coordinating body which is responsible for organising the Abilympics Competition; selecting qualified PWDs to represent Malaysia at the International Abilympics Competition.

The first International Abilympics was held in Tokyo in 1981 to commemorate the United Nations' International Year of Disabled Persons. It received the wide support of both governmental and non-governmental organisations in Japan. The Abilympics helped to overturn traditional views in regard to the skills, potentials and abilities of disabled persons, resulting in increased employment opportunities and vocational stability.

The experience and expertise of Japan's National Abilympics was utilised at the first International Abilympics, raising public awareness on the subject of persons with disabilities, their vast potential and the contribution that they can make to society.

This inspired Colombia to hold the second International Abilympics in 1985, where it was proposed that an international organisation is established to promote and hold the International Abilympics Competition on a regular basis. Thus, the International Abilympics Federation (IAF) was established during the third International Abilympics held in Hong Kong in 1991. Since then, the International Abilympics Competitions were held in Perth, Australia (1995), Prague, Czech Republic (2000), Delhi, India (2003), Shizuoka, Japan (2007), Seoul, Korea (2011) and Bordeaux, France (2016).