Disability Entry Criteria

All entrants must meet the Para eligibility criteria on 1 April 2025

Please select the relevant criteria:-
Physically Impaired
                              -    Classified
                                                   o    Classification i.e. B5, B6, B7 or B8
                              -    Unclassified
                                                   o    Unclassified with eligible condition

Visually Impaired
                              -    Classified Player
                                                  o    Classification i.e. B1, B2, B3, B4
                              -    Unclassified with eligible condition

Learning Difficulties
                              -    Classified Player
                                                 o    Classification i.e. L1, L2, L3
                              -    Unclassified Player with eligible condition

 
Para Competition Eligibility

Physically Impaired Players
1.    Players classified B5-B8
2.    Unclassified players with:-
a.    Impaired muscle power – reduced force generated by the contraction of a muscle or muscle groups in one limb, one side of the body or the lower half of the body. Conditions include para and quadriplegia, spina bifida or muscular dystrophy.
b.    Impaired passive range of movement –range of movement in one or more joints is reduced in a systematical way. 
a.    Excluded conditions: Hypermobility of joints, joint instability and acute conditions of reduced range of movement e.g. arthritis.
c.    Limb deficiency –total or partial absence of the bones or joints as a result of trauma, illness or congenital limb deficiency.
d.    Leg length difference –as a result of congenital deficiency or trauma. Bone shortening occurs in one leg.
e.    Short stature –standing height is reduced due to abnormal dimensions of the bones of the upper and lower limbs or trunk. The condition is known as achondoplasia.
f.    Hypertonia –an abnormal increase in muscle tension and reduced ability of a muscle to stretch. Hypertonia may result from injury, disease or conditions that involve damage to the central nervous system. Under age two the term cerebral palsy is often used but hypertonia can also result from brain injury, stroke or multiple sclerosis.
g.    Ataxia – a neurological sign and symptom that consists of a lack of coordination of muscle movements. Under age two the term cerebral palsy is often used but ataxia can also result from brain injury, stroke or multiple sclerosis.
h.    Athetosis – generally characterised by unbalanced, involuntary movements of muscle tone and a difficulty maintaining symmetrical posture. Under age two the term cerebral palsy is often used but athetosis can also result from brain injury or stroke.

Visually Impaired Players
1.    Players classified B1-B4
2.    Unclassified players with a visual impairment – impairment of the eye structure, optical nerves, optical pathways, or visual cortex of the central brain.

 
Players with Learning Difficulties
1.    Players classified L1-L3
2.    Unclassified players with a Learning difficulty
The person has been identified as having a Learning (intellectual) disability: defined as ‘a condition of arrested or incomplete development of mind, which is characterized by impairment of skills manifested during the developmental period, which contribute to the overall level of intelligence, i.e. cognitive, language, motor and social abilities’ (World Health Organisation ICD-10) 
In other words: 
‘A significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information, to learn new skills (impaired intelligence) with a reduced ability to cope independently (impaired social functioning) which started before adulthood, with a lasting effect on development’.  “Before Adulthood” means before the age of 18. 
If a person has been diagnosed after the age of 18 then they are eligible to compete in competitions providing the diagnosis has been made by a professional.
In common with other national and international sports organisations, a person is deemed to have an intellectual impairment, if they have a full scale IQ score of 75 or lower. IQ tests are acknowledged to be limited therefore it is important to gather additional information, to assist in understanding an individual’s abilities. In addition the individual is usually expected to have significant difficulties with self-care, adaptive behaviour and self-organisational skills. This definition covers adults with autism who also have intellectual Impairment.
Exclusions: It is important to draw a distinction between people who have a Learning (Intellectual) Disability and those with a specific learning difficulty (who are not eligible). Conditions such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, attention deficit disorder or challenging behaviour alone, are not eligible for participation in a Bowls England Open Disability competition.

Similarly people with a physical or sensory impairment do not qualify, unless they also have a Learning (Intellectual) Disability.