If we want the Paralympic Games in 2012 to change attitudes about disability, we need to see disability in a different way. Disability is not something that's tragic and sad.
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If we want the Paralympic Games in 2012 to change attitudes about disability, we need to see disability in a different way. Disability is not something that's tragic and sad.
The challenge we face over the next three years is to be more open minded about disability in general, not just disability sport.
It's about letting disabled people express themselves in any way they want to. That's not something that can wait until London 2012 when 11 days of exceptional Paralympic competition will inspire disabled kids everywhere to have a go at something new.
It's something that needs to happen now.
That responsibility doesn't fall to the London 2012 Organising Committee - although the four year Cultural Olympiad has gone a long way to showcasing what disabled people can do in other areas such as the arts, theatre, music and dance.
That responsibility falls to all of us because we still treat disabled people differently in all walks of life.
We have to make sure the National Governing Bodies run clubs that really are open to all. Far too often young disabled athletes turn up to a club only to be told they 'can't coach people like you'. That's a closed, rather than an open minded attitude, and it needs to change.
It's part of our moral responsibility to broaden knowledge and understanding so disabled people are treated the same. All of us can play our part in that.
Teachers can ensure everyone, non-disabled or disabled, gets the same opportunities.
Clubs can make greater efforts to be welcoming and to provide ramps and accessible facilities and coaches can learn to include all sectors of society.
The media can educate on the complexity of disabled sport so that the public fully understand that it’s not disjointed sport they are watching but elite sport contested by disabled people.
If we want London 2012 to be a success and to leave a real, life-changing, legacy we need to make changes now. If we wait until London 2012, thousands of disabled kids are going to turn up at their local club only to be turned away and we will have missed a massive opportunity.
Then the question I'll be asked will be, 'Why didn’t you do something when you could?'
Let's work together to avoid that happening. Let's start making the difference now.
(By the way, if you'd like to discuss this - or anything else - with me in person, you can win tea with me overlooking the Olympic Park site. The deadline for entries is Wednesday, 2 September. Find out more about the competition)
Could not agree more with this, it is up to us to make a 'social climate change' to peoples attitudes and projects such as newly launched 'unlimited' will provide us with encouragement and support to do so. Its the same for the arts as it is sports, as an artist with a hidden disability I would wish to try my up-most to prove that unlike at school where I was told I would never amount to much, win my race to prove them wrong.
Absolutely right about the need for mainstream sports clubs to become more welcoming to people with disabilities. I'm involved in cricket and there is a lot of work being done in my local area to encourage mainstream clubs to develop disability sections and offer coaching. I was at a tournament only yesterday which had junior disability teams competing alongside non-disabled teams. Everyone enjoyed themselves - and one of the disabled teams won!