Paralympic Committee issues reporting guidelines

The International Paralympic Committee has produced a guide aimed at helping reporters treat participants at the Paralympic Games like athletes first.

The three-page document on the IPC's Web site lists about a dozen tips and a short glossary of words to avoid.

The document urges reporters not to use terms such as ``crippled'' or ``victim,'' and to emphasize the athlete before his or her disability.

The committee's Steffi Klein says many journalists covering the games are doing so for the first time, and may have little experience even interacting with people with disabilities. The guide tries to help the reporters focus more on the competition and not on stories aimed at generating sympathy for the athletes.