In December 2013, I was fortunate enough to be invited to Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia by the British Consulate in Rio and the British Embassy in Brasilia. As an accessible travel writer and a wheelchair user myself, I was particularly interested in exploring accessibility in Rio, the city that is to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2016. Preparation for the Games themselves also grabbed my interest however, especially as my involvement in major sporting events stemmed from volunteering as a Games Maker during the 2012 Games in London, where I now live.
Whilst in both Rio and Brasilia, I attended many informative meetings, and felt thoroughly welcomed into the exciting Brazilian culture. At the headquarters of the Rio 2016 Organising Committee, I gave a presentation to numerous government officials and authorities, describing my fantastic experience as a Games Maker, and talking of my current aim to make Rio as accessible as possible for those with disabilities before the excitement of 2016. I talked of how the legacy of the London 2012 Games had affected me personally – the media, in particular, is now much more open to disabled people in the UK, thanks to the huge success of the Paralympic Games, and our own British Paralympians. Furthermore, the Games in London seemed to inject the disabled community with further confidence and ambition. A realisation that limitation can be lifted to make anything possible.
Conversation quickly turned to what the legacy of the Rio 2016 Games could be. I cannot predict the future, but the lasting legacy from my adventures in Rio and Brasilia has to be the warmth I felt from being welcomed, encouraged and appreciated by the Brazilian people I met over there. I do know that, with such friendliness and positivity, any visitor or tourist to the 2016 Games that comes into contact with a Brazilian volunteer will have the best welcome anyone could ask for.
In terms of accessibility in Brazil, there is a long way to go. There are hotels and transport to adapt, curbs to drop, and beaches that need walkways. But half the battle has already been won; there is willingness to change, and minds that are already opening to the different possibilities of access. If done correctly, the Rio 2016 Games could create an accessible legacy for the local, national and international disabled community. That, I can predict, will last for years to come.
Emily Yates is an Accessible Travel Writer, a Disability Advocate, and an English Literature Graduate. She is writing an Accessible Travel Guide to the Rio 2016 Games. To follow her adventures or sponsor the Guide, please visit: www.emilyroseyates.co.uk