Visibility Matters

VISIBILITY MATTERS!

If you’ve been on just about any form of social media over the last 10 or 15 years, and follow anything to do with the Olympics and Paralympics, you’ve probably seen the slightly tongue in cheek verse “thanks for the warm up” following the closing of the Olympics; heading into the Paralympics.

Over the years there has been a lot of talk about the possibilities of combining both events and the pros and cons. From a personal standpoint, I can see arguments from both sides.

I came across this article the other day which discusses not the combining of the events but a much simpler starting point…

When one event is mentioned, they are both mentioned.

Seems simple, doesn’t it?

Fun fact, the word “Paralympic” doesn’t come from the word paraplegic or para-sport, it is derived from the Greek preposition “para” (beside or belong) and the word “Olympic.” It’s meaning refers to the Paralympics being parallel to the Olympics and illustrates the two movements exist side by side.

Whilst referring to these two events in the same breath is a step in the right direction for increasing the visibility of the Paralympics, disabled sport and People with a Disability as a whole, it is just that, a single step.

Gone are the days when disabled sport is seen as a showcase event and results are found in the back of a newspaper’s “public interest” section.

These athletes are real athletes who are just as skilled and train just as hard as their able-bodied counterparts, so why shouldn’t they be entitled to the same airtime and level of respect?

If interested in understanding more about diversity, inclusion, and accessibility we are here to help!

Team InvincAble offers face-to-face and online workshops as well as purchasable workbooks and can consult on accessibility issues from a lived experience perspective.

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