Becca Meyers Drops Out of the Paralympics Over Accommodation Issue
26-year-old deaf-blind swimmer Becca Meyers made the difficult decision to quit Team USA after her basic needs were dismissed.
Disabled people have always been forced to live in an able-bodied world, so it is heartbreaking yet not surprising that Becca Meyers is one of them. The six-time Paralympic medalist asked our society on Twitter, “In 2021, why as a disabled person am I still fighting for my rights?” Meyers wrote that she is withdrawing from the Paralympic Games because the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee “…has repeatedly denied my reasonable and essential accommodation because of my disability, leaving me no choice.”
Heartbroken to share that I’m withdrawing from the Tokyo Paralympic Games. The USOPC has repeatedly denied my reasonable and essential accommodation because of my disability, leaving me no choice. Full statement below: pic.twitter.com/p9tKsbPip2
— Becca Meyers (@becca_meyers) July 20, 2021
In her gutwrenching statement, the swimmer said, “The USOPC has denied a reasonable and essential accommodation for me, as a deaf-blind athlete, to be able to compete in Tokyo, telling me repeatedly that I do not need a personal care assistant (PCA) “who I trust” because there will be a single PCA on staff that is available to assist me and 33 other Paralympic swimmers, 9 of whom are also visually impaired.”
Thank you Sen. Maggie Hassan for your support! Let’s effect change. https://t.co/p7hfxmavMY
— Becca Meyers (@becca_meyers) July 20, 2021
Meyers has been allowed to have her mother as a PCA since 2017, but this year’s COVID-19 restrictions prohibit “non-essential staff.” While Meyers explained that it makes sense for COVID restrictions to be in place for the Paralympics, her trusted PCA is essential for her to compete.
Per HuffPost, Rick Adams, chief of sports performance and national governing body services for the USOPC, told Meyers’ father in an email that he would not add “…late additions to our delegation list other than the athletes and essential operational personnel.” Adams also wrote, “As I said to you both on the phone and over email, I fully empathize with your concerns and wish we could find a way as we have in the past.” However, Meyers swore to herself that she would never put herself in a situation to travel without a PCA as she did at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics. She was distressed and stopped eating because she couldn’t find the dining hall.
Meyers had a meeting with the USOPC in May, hoping to resolve the issue and get the accommodations she deserved. However, “They talked right over me. They dismissed me. They said, ‘This is what we have; you’re going to have to deal with it.’” Her story drew support from Maryland Senator Ben Cardin, former professional tennis player Billie Jean King, and deaf-blind disability rights advocate Haben Girma.
Thank you for your support! Let’s make change happen. https://t.co/T0cdeUQicr
— Becca Meyers (@becca_meyers) July 20, 2021
The disabled community deserves the respect, accommodation, and modifications they need to succeed in life.
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) July 21, 2021
This situation is shameful and easily fixable.
Do the right thing, USOPC. Becca Meyers deserves better. #DisabilityPrideMonth #TeamUSA https://t.co/lSUnpn5kaY
Deafblind Paralympian, 3x gold medalist, @Becca_Meyers can’t compete in Tokyo because of this ableist decision by the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee. This hurts future #Deafblind athletes & other Paralympians. @TeamUSA, please change this decision! #TokyoParalympics #TeamUSA pic.twitter.com/ebeb57CWRe
— Haben Girma👩🏿🦯 (@HabenGirma) July 20, 2021
Be sure to support Becca Meyers in her future endeavors on Instagram and Twitter.
