IHSA to add state competition for athletes with disabilities

The Illinois High School Association on Monday announced a plan to allow athletes with disabilities to compete at the state level in four sports.

The move comes less than a month after Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to require the IHSA to accommodate athletes with disabilities.

According to an IHSA release, the organization will start offering chances for athletes with disabilities to compete against each other at the state finals for cross country, bowling, swiming and diving, and track and field, beginning with the 2012-13 school year.

“By piloting separate, high-profile events for our student-athletes with disabilities, we hope to spur more interest statewide,” Hickman said in the release. “As more and more student-athletes participate in our programs, and as they do so at a younger age, the level of competition naturally rises, giving way to more meaningful experiences for our athletes.”

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