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London Games to welcome people with disabilities
By Sebastian Wood |
December 3, 2011, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
TODAY, on International Day for Persons with Disabilities, people around the globe are discussing how to work "together for a better world for all," including people with disabilities in all areas of society.
This is something that many people in my country are thinking about at the moment, because we want to make next year's London Olympics the most accessible Games ever.
One of the exciting things for us about hosting the 2012 Games is that the Paralympic Games is finally coming home to its spiritual birthplace.
On the opening day of the London 1948 Olympics, Dr Ludwig Guttman organized a sports competition for wounded British soldiers, and the modern Paralympic movement was born.
Next year in London, over 4,000 Paralympians will compete in 20 sports. The determination of these remarkable athletes is a reminder that when people with disabilities are given the chance, they can achieve great things: disability does not mean lack of ability.
For me, the most moving and memorable moments of the Beijing Games were in the Paralympics, not the Olympics.
We've come a long way since 1948. Thanks to legislation and improved access, increasing numbers of disabled people in our two countries can now live independent lives. But there is still much more that we can do.
Small changes go a long way towards helping disabled people to achieve their potential. As Beijingers know, hosting the Olympics is a great chance to make some of those changes.
Catalyst
Before the 2008 Games, the Beijing municipal government installed more than 100 lifts in subway stations, improved access to 300 bus stops, provided 2,800 new barrier-free buses, and installed special pavements to assist the blind on city streets.
In the same spirit, London Mayor Boris Johnson said in 2008 that the 2012 Games should be a catalyst to transform access for disabled people in London.
That's why all the buildings, open spaces and public transport for London 2012 have been designed with the needs of many different groups of people in mind.
What's more, more than 8,000 buses have been fitted with automatic audio and display announcement systems to help blind and deaf people. All London buses and taxis are now fully accessible.
Long after the 2012 Games end, these changes will continue to help disabled people live fuller lives.
Small changes can make a huge difference to disabled people, and give the independence they need to fulfill their true potential. Sometimes all it takes is something small and practical, like providing a wheelchair ramp, accessible toilets, barrier-free buses, or audio signals at intersections so blind people know when it's safe to cross.
Beijing and London each have around 1 million disabled citizens. If we keep taking practical steps to include them in public life, understanding of disabilities will increase, reducing prejudice and discrimination. I hope that for both of our great cities, this will be a lasting Olympic legacy.
The author is UK Ambassador to China
This is something that many people in my country are thinking about at the moment, because we want to make next year's London Olympics the most accessible Games ever.
One of the exciting things for us about hosting the 2012 Games is that the Paralympic Games is finally coming home to its spiritual birthplace.
On the opening day of the London 1948 Olympics, Dr Ludwig Guttman organized a sports competition for wounded British soldiers, and the modern Paralympic movement was born.
Next year in London, over 4,000 Paralympians will compete in 20 sports. The determination of these remarkable athletes is a reminder that when people with disabilities are given the chance, they can achieve great things: disability does not mean lack of ability.
For me, the most moving and memorable moments of the Beijing Games were in the Paralympics, not the Olympics.
We've come a long way since 1948. Thanks to legislation and improved access, increasing numbers of disabled people in our two countries can now live independent lives. But there is still much more that we can do.
Small changes go a long way towards helping disabled people to achieve their potential. As Beijingers know, hosting the Olympics is a great chance to make some of those changes.
Catalyst
Before the 2008 Games, the Beijing municipal government installed more than 100 lifts in subway stations, improved access to 300 bus stops, provided 2,800 new barrier-free buses, and installed special pavements to assist the blind on city streets.
In the same spirit, London Mayor Boris Johnson said in 2008 that the 2012 Games should be a catalyst to transform access for disabled people in London.
That's why all the buildings, open spaces and public transport for London 2012 have been designed with the needs of many different groups of people in mind.
What's more, more than 8,000 buses have been fitted with automatic audio and display announcement systems to help blind and deaf people. All London buses and taxis are now fully accessible.
Long after the 2012 Games end, these changes will continue to help disabled people live fuller lives.
Small changes can make a huge difference to disabled people, and give the independence they need to fulfill their true potential. Sometimes all it takes is something small and practical, like providing a wheelchair ramp, accessible toilets, barrier-free buses, or audio signals at intersections so blind people know when it's safe to cross.
Beijing and London each have around 1 million disabled citizens. If we keep taking practical steps to include them in public life, understanding of disabilities will increase, reducing prejudice and discrimination. I hope that for both of our great cities, this will be a lasting Olympic legacy.
The author is UK Ambassador to China
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