Facebook Adds New Features to Help Users Follow the Paralympic Games

The 2021 Paralympic Games begin next week (8/24), and Facebook has revealed a new set of features to allow users to participate in the Games and keep up with the latest results and happenings.

To begin, users will soon be able to visit a new Paralympics hub on Facebook, which will bring up-to-date information on the latest results, news, and highlights. The new Paralympic hub will also incorporate individual and team profiles as well as interactive components such as a Games quiz to encourage increase engagement, as shown in these screenshots. To highlight relevant conversations of relevance, the hub will also feature related postings from your relationships.

The #Paralympics hashtag will take you to Facebook's Paralympic Games hub, which will be available starting August 23rd. The #Paralympics hashtag on Instagram is trending right now. The official Paralympics mascot, Someity, has a unique AR effect on his Instagram account that allows fans to try to mimic his movements.

The Paralympics account has also posted a variety of articles explaining the rules and history of several events. Additionally, the @Wethe15 Instagram account now features a new augmented reality effect aimed to help fans promote the "We the 15" cause. 'We the 15' strives to eliminate discrimination against disabled individuals, who account for 15% of the global population.

Facebook is also hosting a variety of exclusive Paralympic content, such as live programming and highlights on the Paralympic Games Facebook Page, exclusive behind-the-scenes clips via Instagram Reels, and a new WebXR "visual and spatial audio experience that recreates phenomenal moments by para-athletes."

Finally, in collaboration with the IPC, Facebook has released a four-part short film series that provides more insight on the spirit of the Paralympic Games and how the event has promoted good change for disabled people around the world. The videos also emphasize Facebook's role in this transformation.

The series, which is available on the Paralympic Games Facebook Page in support of #WeThe15, focuses on how Facebook helps communities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and New Zealand join together online - and the real-world impact it has offline.

The Paralympic Games are significant in terms of encouraging inclusiveness and offering opportunities for all athletes to participate and demonstrate their abilities. As a result, it's encouraging to see Facebook provide tools to increase involvement and engagement while also providing Paralympic competitors with a way to stay in touch with their fan bases.