From the New York Times: Paralympic Athletes See Inequity in U.S. Support.

When he rolls to the starting line for the 1,500-meter wheelchair race at the Paralympics, the Olympics for disabled athletes that begin Saturday in Beijing, Tony Iniguez will wear his Team U.S.A. uniform with pride. He will compete for his country’s Olympic program. He is also suing it for discrimination.

***
The United States is no stranger to disputes over discrimination against various groups and the provision of benefits for citizens, as the battle over universal health insurance indicates. But in this case the Paralympians are emphasizing their needs as athletes as much as their needs as citizens. They claim that races have been lost and medals squandered by their having to compete against athletes from nations such as Canada and Britain that support their disabled athletes virtually equally to Olympians.