In a recent poll, in partnership with Perkins Slade, 63% of public said that the London 2012 Paralympic Games changed their perception of people living with a disability.
With financial problems dominating the conversation ahead of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and the lack of televised coverage, the legacy of the London 2012 Paralympic Games has stood dormant.
Over 200 countries and territories covered the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and there are just 154 countries currently delivering coverage of the Paralympic Games. The US broadcaster, NBC scheduled a total of 6,755 hours of programming to capture the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and for the Paralympics, the broadcaster will show just 60 hours of coverage.
In the news, the BBC has reported that the conversation on China’s most popular social media platform Weibo is about the lack of coverage for the country’s Paralympic athletes. The UK, recognised as a lead figure in the coverage of the Paralympic Games, still has inconsistencies with media referring to ParalympicsGB as ‘Team GB’.
Moving forward, the Sport and Recreation Alliance wants the committee and government of the host nations, the international sports organisations involved in providing the journey for elite athletes to deliver at the Paralympic Games, the IPC and IOC, partners of the Games and the media to put on a united front to make sure that the Paralympic Games is an equal to the Olympic Games.
The most recent research conducted the English Federation of Disability Sport demonstrated the public’s desire to see more disability sport in the media. This is just one channel that plays an integral role in helping to create a culture change and place the Paralympic Games on a level footing.
It is important the legacy of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, which helped to create a positive culture change, is continued through all perspectives of both able-bodies and disability sport to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to play and be part of physical activity.
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