The IDEAS system is designed to assist sailors, coaches, event and program organizers, and national governing bodies to ESTIMATE eligibility for participation in disabled sailing, based on the 2005 Functional Classification System of the International Association for Disabled Sailing. Functional Classification provides a more equitable means of quantifying a disabled person's ability to participate in a particular sport. The only way to actually receive a valid Classification is to be evaluated and classified by an official national or international classifier. For these guidelines, please see the IFDS 2005 FCS www.sailing.org/disabled/FCS2005.pdf. IDEAS attempts to aid sailors and coaches with an estimate of eligibility, and is not intended to replace formal classification.

 Based on the questions in the online I.D.E.A.S. form, an estimate of eligibility for disabled sailing should be possible for most sailors.  See a sample.

                                            DETERMINATION of ELIGIBILITY:

The goals of Classification and Impairment rating systems for Sailing are to enable fair and equitable competition at all levels, for mildly, moderately and severely disabled sailors. Sailors are eligible to compete in an ISAF/IFDS sanctioned event if they have a physical disability that causes or ought to cause a noticeable impairment of function while sailing.

 Benchmarks

The first section you are asked to fill out on the form is a simplified anatomical assessment based on the IFDS FCS 2005 benchmarks.  If you do not exactly match one of the benchmark disabilities  (i.e.  incomplete spinal cord injuries, disease process disabilities; T5 to T 10 complete), it is essential that you accurately fill out and assess your abilities in the second part of the form, the functional sailing assessment.

IDEAS and the IFDS Classification System are based entirely on the functions required to compete in sailing events and as such may differ from those functions required for other sports, or for daily living. The main functions of sailing have been identified as:

• Compensation for the movement of the boat (Stability).

• Operating the control lines and the tiller (Hand function).

• Ability to move about in the boat (Mobility).

• Ability to see whilst racing (Vision).

 These functions have been further refined to test:

Based on the questions you will answer in the online I.D.E.A.S. form, an estimate of eligibility for disabled sailing should be possible.

Please pay special attention to the following when completing the form as it has changed from last year. 

VISUAL IMPAIRMENT ELIGIBILITY ASSESSMENT  

If you are visually impaired, you will need to fill out that specific part of the questionnaire. The following determinations are based on the current IFDS FCS 2005 ratings.  For complete details and forms for your ophthalmologist, please see the IFDS FCS 2005.  Please note that the best eye is used for this determination.

B1.  Totally blind.  The competitor cannot make use of any visual clues to assist in sailing. For example, total absence of perception of light or some light perception but inability to recognize the form of a hand at any distance and in any direction.

B2.  Partially blind with visual acuity of  < 0.0333 in the best eye AND/OR visual field is 5 degrees (radius) or less in the best eye.

B3. Partially blind with visual acuity 0.0333 to 0.100 in the best eye AND/ OR visual field of less than 20 degrees but more than 5 degrees (radius) in the best eye.