The Paralympics – Transforming Attitudes

The success of Ethiopian athletes in the London 2012 Olympic Games created an amazing wave of national excitement and pride here. And then the Paralympics games continued to maintain the spirit of jubilation. Like many Ethiopians and indeed sports fans all over the world, I was keenly looking forward to the Paralympics.

Britain has always been a trailblazer for promoting rights for disabled people. The Paralympic Games was conceived in Britain, in Stoke Mandeville hospital, for injured war heroes at the end of the Second World War. And Britain has led the world in disability sport ever since. The Games themselves have come a very long way since 16 competitors took part in that first event back in 1948. At the London 2012 Paralympics, 165 countries and over 4,200 athletes competed in 20 sports. This made it the biggest and best Paralympics ever!

The fantastic opening ceremony was a celebration of the inspirational spirit of the Paralympic Games – a spirit that challenges our perceptions of human possibilities. The Games were a real showcase of the determination and strength that a human mind can possess, regardless of the challenges posed by physiological disabilities. This year, Ethiopia claimed its first ever medal in the Paralympics through athlete Wondiye Fikre, who made his country proud by winning silver in the men’s 1500m-T46 athletics.

The party is over. But the British government will carry on its proud tradition of promoting positive attitudes towards disabled people, encouraging their independence and focusing on what people can do rather than what they can’t. Here, we want to play our small part in empowering the disabled youth of Ethiopia and seeing them take part in future Paralympics events – following up for example the event that our Embassy organized with Dires House of Sport to mark 100 days to go to the Paralympics Games. You can find more about this event here.

The London 2012 Paralympics Games made a huge impact on our emotions and on our perceptions and attitudes towards disability and disabled athletes. I was back in London last week and was able to experience something of this very positive mood. It is something we must not leave behind, just because the Games are over.