The 2016 Rio Paralympic Games run from September 7th to September 18th. I bet you didn't know that. Why? Because there has been little to no coverage of them at all.

During the Olympic Games back in August, no matter what major TV network you put on or any of your news channels, you were sure to see full coverage of the Games throughout the entire day and night. In fact, we are still hearing about them and the drama they brought, now, almost a month later.

The Paralympic Games is a major international multi-sport event involving athletes with a range of disabilities, including impaired muscle power, passive range of movement, limb deficiency, leg length difference,short stature, hypertonia, ataxia, athetosis, vision impairment, and intellectual impairment.

Even though it is a major international event, why don't you hear about the athletes, the competitions and races, or the medal counts of the Paralympic Games on your local news channels or TV networks? Simply because there is a disparity in the equality of media coverage.

Not only is the TV coverage unjust, but so is the advertising. Although NBC is one network who is supposedly covering the Paralympic Games, are they really? During the Olympic Games the olympic rings (Olympic symbol) were present on the bottom right hand corner of NBC, full time regardless of what was being shown. However, despite "covering" the Paralympic Games, the three red, green and blue agitos (Paralympic symbol) are not present on the bottom right corner of the NBC network for the Paralympics. Aside from the general recognition that the Games are on and running, there are no where near as many commercials advertising them.

The entire purpose of the Paralympic Games is to display and recognize athletes that do not have full capabilities of their bodies, yet still have full capability of performing and engaging in sports. It shows people that having a disability or impairment does not make you any less worthy. However, by the inequality that comes from sports and news coverage for athletes competing in the Paralympic Games, it comes across as if we as a society, are treating them less just because the do not compete in the Olympic Games. By limiting coverage and advertising, it makes it seem as if Paralympic athletes are not as important or worthy enough when compared to Olympic athletes. This is NOT the case, at least for me. That is why I strongly disagree with the way the media and society are handling this coverage disparity. It makes me sick to think that in 2016, we still do not treat people equally, even in a world of sports which is one of the rare aspects of society that tends to bring people together regardless of where they are from or what story they carry. Hopefully, in the future, we as a society, will see a change in this injustice and equality will be granted in regards to media coverage amongst the two Games. Until then, I will be rooting for the athletes participating in the 2016 Paralympic Games, well at least from the NBC app, because apparently that's the only way to access full coverage of the games.