Paralympians say they won't be ‘participating’ at the Paralympic Games in Paris next week - they'll be 'competing'.
It's part of a strategy to highlight the language used to describe Paralympians compared to athletes who compete without a disability.
Paralympians have posted a series of graphics on Instagram declaring: 'I won’t be participating at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games - I will be competing'.
View this post on Instagram
Irish Paralympic cyclist Richael Timothy told Newstalk Breakfast the Paralympics are not an afterthought.
"I think it's more so that the Olympics are [seen as] the main event and then the Paralympics is after it," she said.
"Whereas the way we look at it is, we train for four years, we qualify over the four years and then we come to compete.
"We don't just come to participate.
"I think it has improved over the years but I don't think it bothers anyone on Team Ireland because we all know how athletic we are, how much we've trained, how much time we've put in.
"It's just a case of trying to put that message across to people at home and to people watching".
Some of the Paralympics Ireland team in Dublin, 25-7-24. Image: Harry Murphy/SportsfileMs Timothy said Paralympic athletes are treated the same as everyone else.
"We're all treated the exact same when we get here - same rooms, same beds, all that sort of stuff," she said.
Ms Timothy said there is a difference in logos, which means Paralympians can't use the trademark Olympic rings.
"There's a Paralympic logo and an Olympic logo and you wouldn't see Olympians getting the Paralympic logo tattooed because they haven't been to the Paralympic Games," she said.
"It's a similar way that the Paralympics are saying if you haven't participated in the Olympic Games you shouldn't have the Olympic rings.
"I agree with [that] - I'm a Paralympian and hoping to be a two-time Paralympian.
"I'm proud that I competed at the Paralympic Games, I didn't compete at the Olympic Games."
'Would I be at the Olympics?'
Ms Timothy there are some athletes who have competed in both games.
"There's a German tandem pilot who competed at the Olympic Games as an able-bodied [athlete] and now he's a guide for a visually impaired cyclist at the Paralympic Games," she said.
"I'm proud I'm a Paralympian that I'm here because I acquired a disability and now I can compete at the top-end of the sport.
"If I was just competing in sport as an able-bodied individual would I be at the Olympics?"
The Paralympic Games begin in Paris next Wednesday August 28th.
