‘The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will show what persons with disabilities can achieve at the highest level when the barriers to succeed are removed. The fact these opportunities largely exist only in sport in the year 2024 is shocking. It is proof we can and must do more to advance disability inclusion — whether on the field of play, in the classroom, concert hall or in the boardroom.’
IPC President Andrew Parsons’ 2024 Paralympic opening speech struck a chord when headlines just before the games highlighted the struggles of disabled people battling the transport system.
Removing Inclusivity Barriers
First and foremost, the Paralympics is and should be about elite sport. But given the world’s focus on disability, the games can provide an incentive for governments, institutions and individuals to address some of the deep-rooted issues that pose barriers for all disabled people.
We know that change can’t happen without a change in attitudes. The London 2012 Paralympics were hailed as a great success for disabled people, and in some way they were. By showcasing elite sports, they helped challenge some of the prejudices and misconceptions about people with disabilities. On the tenth anniversary of the London Paralympics, a survey by the Spirit of 2012 found that 70 per cent of the public believed that the games had a positive impact on attitudes towards disabled people. However, 67 per cent of respondents believed that many people hold negative stereotypes of disabled people, and 83 per cent believed that many people don’t understand the needs of those with hidden disabilities.
Despite the heightened visibility the Paralympics bring to people with disabilities, the benefits are often short-lived and stoke perceptions of disabled people as being ‘superhuman,’ which can be detrimental. In the words of multiple Paralympic gold medallist, Hannah Cockroft, ‘The segregation between Paralympians and every other disabled person is damaging. Britain is a scary place for every disabled person right now.’
The idea of being ‘superhuman’ was at the forefront of Channel 4’s advertising for the 2012 Paralympics. It brought visibility, interest and attention to the event. But for the Paris Paralympics, this idea was challenged and reframed. This time, advertising focused on the physical battles Paralympians face, such as friction and gravity, as well as the social hurdles which include both physical barriers and people’s attitudes.
A Harsher Climate for Disabled People
There is convincing evidence that attitudes towards disabled people have become worse. The disability charity Scope found that 72 per cent of disabled people have experienced negative attitudes and behaviour in the last five years. Whilst the Paralympic Games can help challenge negative attitudes, any positive effect on the lives of disabled people, both in terms of perceptions and stereotypes as well as the removal of physical barriers to participation, has been minimal.
The story of Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson having no choice but to crawl off a train because no assistance turned up, shocked and horrified many. That is, perhaps, except for the millions of disabled mobility aid users for whom this is an all too frequent occurrence. The irony that this highly publicised incident happened on the way to the Paralympics was not lost on anyone.
Only weeks before the Paralympics, the headlines were struck by another story of inaccessibility when Anna Landre was awarded the Freedom of the City of London for her disability rights campaigning. Landre was unable to collect her award onstage due to the lack of a ramp. In her words, she was ‘given Freedom of City but not freedom of room.’
These incidents may have hit the headlines, but for the millions of disabled people across the UK and the world, the continued lack of accessibility causes real and frequent barriers to effective participation and inclusion in society. And it’s not only on trains that disabled passengers face challenges. In the United States, over 11,000 wheelchairs were damaged or lost by airlines in 2023. In the United Kingdom, a shortage of wheelchair-accessible taxis (particularly in remote areas) can make it hard for disabled people to socialise or meet important commitments, such as hospital appointments or job interviews.
From education to the workplace to days out, disabled people face the realities of inaccessibility. Children with disabilities are a particularly vulnerable group. Many are unable to access education, with only 51 per cent of councils issuing EHCPs within the 20-week deadline. All this is in addition to a general lack of understanding, inaccessible buildings and a shortage of special school places. Blocked by understaffed accessible booking phone lines, inaccessible seating, and the lack of accessible toilets, disabled music fans struggle to access live music. A wheelchair user joining a local authority waiting list may have to wait up to 47 years for a new build wheelchair-accessible home. These examples demonstrate some of the basic problems faced by people with disabilities, yet they barely scratch the surface.
Towards an Accessible Future
The 2024 Paralympics highlighted the incredible success that accessibility and inclusion can bring to the lives of disabled people. From adapted apparatus in events, such as the T11 long jump, to having coached assistance in the use of adapted start positions in swimming, to incorporating fit-for-purpose equipment from prosthetics to wheelchairs, and having built-in ramps to the medal podiums; all these, and more examples of accessibility, help remove the very real barriers to participation and allow Paralympians to achieve greatness.
For eleven days every four years, the Paralympics gives disabled issues immense visibility. As we say goodbye to the 2024 Paralympics, we must seize this opportunity to push for change. That these opportunities exist in sports is great indeed. However, until our social structures begin addressing the systemic inaccessibility and barriers facing disabled people, millions will continue to be disadvantaged and prevented from living their best lives.
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