Laetitia Woue toured Stratford in search of the Paralympics Effect.
‘When I used to push my son Ivan around in his wheelchair, I always thought that some people saw the wheelchair, not the boy.’ Speaking at the Conservative Party conference in October 2012, prime minister David Cameron recalled the way people looked at him when he was out and about with his disabled son Ivan, who died in 2011. An emotional David Cameron went on to say that people’s attitudes had changed since summer 2012 when the Paralympic Games showed the world what ‘disabled’ people are really capable of.
In the wake of the claims made by Cameron and others, I went to Stratford city to carry out an informal test on the supposedly transformational effects of London 2012 and the Paralympic Games in particular.
‘The Paralympics taught me not to feel sorry for the disabled,’ said Vahina (35), who lives in Stratford. She recalled having always thought of people with disabilities as being ‘less efficient’ than ‘the able-bodied’. She added: ‘I’ve always tended to separate disabled from “normal” people, but I now know that I was completely wrong. It’s such a shame it took me so long to figure it out.’
In September 2012, an ITV News survey on the impact of the Paralympics on disabled people’s lives, revealed that 82 per cent of respondents believed that the Paralympics would help to make disabled people more visible in the media. However, a worryingly large number – 52 per cent – also believed that discrimination would continue.
Wheelchair user James (44), another Stratford resident, said: ‘I don’t want this to end. I don’t want to go back to being the frightened, defensive person I was before the Games, constantly feeling I had to defend myself and other disabled people who are forced to survive on social security benefits.’ He added: ‘Since the ParaIympics I have actually felt like I belonged on this planet.’
Alongside the change in public attitudes, there is also the question of ‘hard legacy’. Has London 2012 helped to improve the infrastructure and accessibility for disabled people in London? Mayor Boris Johnson reported that: ‘hundreds of million of pounds have been invested in improvement to our transport network to offer the best experience for disabled passengers getting around our great city.’ Transport for London insists that this constructive approach will continue: ‘We are committed to making more changes in the future months and years to continue to improve London’s transport services’.
Following the Games many underground and railway stations now benefit from new or refurbished lifts, increased numbers of platform ramps and level train access, tactile strips on platforms, improved electronic displays, audio loops and Help Points.
But Danielle (22), a third-year UEL film student and wheelchair user, maintains that though these developments are useful, it’s the new mindset which matters most: ‘When it comes to getting around London, even before the Olympics everything was great. But what I hope won’t change is the way people look at me as if I was finally “normal” for once.’
A few months on from the Paralympics, people in Stratford are keen not to return to old ways of looking past the boy.