| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Australia |
| Born | 5 July 1979 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
Paul David Harpur OAM (born 28 July 1979) is an Australian twice-Paralympian as an athlete with a vision impairment, a lawyer, and university professor. [1] [2] [3] He is known for his expertise in anti-discrimination laws, human rights, labour laws and work health and safety laws. [4]
With totally or almost totally blind vision, as an athlete, Harpur is given as B1 Paralympic classification. He has completed in a number of world sporting events, [2] [5] [6] including:
Part of his philosophy is 'Impossible is only two letters from possible and you do not need sight to have vision'. [5]
Harpur started his law degree in 1998, graduating in 2003, whilst engaged with sports. [5]
A qualified solicitor, Harpur's university teaching areas include anti-discrimination laws, human rights, labour laws, and work health and safety laws. [6] He has also given TEDx presentations ('Universities as disability champions of change'), and addressed the International Labour Organization in Geneva. [6]
Harpur's 2019 Fulbright Future Scholarship was 'Universally designed for whom? Disability, the law and practice of expanding the "normal user"'. [4] In 2021 he was also awarded an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship, investigating how the higher education sector can better support persons with disabilities. [11]
He is presently a professor at the TC Beirne School of Law at the University of Queensland. [4] [12] Professor Harpur has numerous publications including Discrimination, copyright and equality: Opening the e-book for the print disabled (2017), and Ableism at work, disablement and hierarchies of impairment (2019).
On 26 January 2024, Harpur was awarded an Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his outstanding contribution to Australian Society, especially in the field of disability inclusion, as part of the 2024 Australia Day Honours.
Harpur is an ambassador for the Australian Human Rights IncludeAbility Network, and chairs the University of Queensland Disability Inclusion Group. [4]
In 2021, he was awarded 2022 Blind Australian of the Year. [13] [14]
He has also been recognised for his role in creating and serving as Chair of the groundbreaking University of Queensland Disability Inclusion Group, which has been recognised with multiple awards. This includes: The University of Queensland 2019 Excellence Award, The University of Queensland Community, diversity and inclusion Award, Champions for Change award by the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education & Equity Practitioners in Higher Education Australasia. [4]
Harpur received a 2019 Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning, from the Australian Award for University Teaching (AAUT) program, "for outstanding leadership in translating disability strategy into a vision of ability equality and core university business." [4]
In 2022, he was appointed to the Universities Accord Ministerial Reference Group to represent disability. [15]
Harpur lost his sight at the age of fourteen when hit by an electric train at Wynnum, Brisbane. [16]
Blind Sports Australia, formerly the Australian Blind Sports Federation (ABSF) was formed in 1980 as the national body to coordinate sport for the blind and vision-impaired in Australia. It encourages and provides access to international competition in world blind and multi-disabled championships for sports recognised by the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). BSA is headquartered near Melbourne.
Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for athletes with a vision impairment. Australia commenced its involvement in the sport in 1980. Its men's team has completed in trans-Tasman competitions, the IBSA World Goalball Championships, and the Paralympic Games.
Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for athletes with a vision impairment. Australia commenced its involvement in the sport in 1980. Its women's team has completed in trans-Tasman competitions, the IBSA World Goalball Championships, and the Paralympic Games.
Jodi Glenda Willis-Roberts, OAM is a visually impaired Australian Paralympic athlete and goalballer.
Brendan John Burkett, OAM is an Australian swimmer who won five medals at four Paralympics and a silver medal at the 1994 Victoria Commonwealth Games.
Jennifer "Jenny" Blow is an Australian goalball player and is classified as a B3 competitor. Having only started playing the sport in 2009, she has several goalball scholarships. She plays for the New South Wales women's goalball team in the Australian national championships, where she has won three silver medals. As a member of the national team, she has competed in the 2010 World Championships, 2011 IBSA Goalball World Cup and the 2011 African-Oceania regional Paralympic qualifying competition. She represented Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics, 2016 Summer Paralympics and 2020 Summer Paralympics in goalball.
Goalball classification is the classification system for goalball. Goalball players with a disability are classified into different categories based on their vision based disability type. The classification is handled by the International Blind Sports Association.
Denmark women's national goalball team is the women's national team of Denmark. Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for athletes with a vision impairment. The team takes part in international competitions.
South Korea women's national goalball team is the women's national team of South Korea. Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for athletes with a vision impairment. It takes part in international competitions.
Great Britain women's national goalball team is the women's national team of Great Britain. Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for athletes with a vision impairment. It takes part in international goalball competitions.
Egypt women's national goalball team is the women's national team of Egypt. Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for athletes with a vision impairment. The team takes part in international goalball competitions.
Iran women's national goalball team is the women's national team of Iran. Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for athletes with a vision impairment. The team takes part in international competitions.
Graeme Gordon Innes AM is a lawyer, mediator and company director, university chancellor and was Australia's Disability Discrimination Commissioner from December 2005 to July 2014.
Curtis Wain McGrath, is an Australian paracanoeist and former soldier. He took up canoeing competitively after both of his legs were amputated as a result of a mine blast while serving with the Australian Army in Afghanistan. McGrath won consecutive gold medals in the Men's KL2 at the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, and has won ten gold medals and a silver at ICF Paracanoe World Championships between 2014 and 2019.
Kathleen Margaret "Katie" Kelly is an Australian paratriathlete, who has a degenerative disease known as Usher syndrome. Kelly began competing in the PT5 paratriathlon classification in February 2015 when her condition deteriorated to a legally blind state. She has just 30 per cent of her vision. With her guide Michellie Jones, Kelly won gold medals at the 2015 and 2017 ITU World Championships and 2016 Rio Paralympics. She competed at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.
Anthony Eric "Tony" South OAM AM is an Australian Paralympic archer who won a gold medal and two silver medals at the 1968 Summer Paralympics and a bronze medal at the 1972 Summer Paralympics.
Katja Dedekind is an Australian Paralympic vision-impaired swimmer and goalball player. She won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games and two bronze medals at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.
Raissa Martin is an Australian goalball player who represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and the 2020 Summer Paralympics.
Gerrard James Gosens is a vision-impaired Australian Paralympic athlete, goalball player, triathlete, adventurer, chocolatier and motivational speaker.
Steffan Nero is an Australian visually impaired sportsperson who has represented his country in blind cricket, goalball, association football, and futsal. On 14 June 2022, he set the new world record for registering the highest ever individual score in the history of blind cricket with an unbeaten knock of 309 against New Zealand during the bilateral ODI series.