The Paralympic Legacy: 'Positive Public Attitude' Towards Disability Needs to be Incorporated Into UK Everyday Life, Says Commission

LONDON, September 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Commission commentary on the key accessibility successes and lesson learnt from the London 2012 Paralympic Games

The Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 has praised the organisers of the London 2012 Paralympics for a truly excellent Games.

In particular, the Commission can highlight successes in the delivery of extensive mobility services during the Games and the achievement of historic Paralympic attendance. This attendance contributed to widespread public involvement and coverage, bringing a reported positive shift in attitudes towards disability.

But despite these successes, the Commission is also cautious as there are still lessons to be learned in ensuring disability provision continues to improve across transport services and non-Games venues.

Shaun McCarthy, Chair of the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 said: "We are all riding on a wave of Paralympic good-will that has washed over the nation. It is now time for action to ensure this translates into improved outcomes for disabled people into the future.

"In our final series of reports on a post-Games legacy, we will be formally reviewing the power of the Paralympics and considering the lessons that should be passed to future host cities and legacy bodies in London."

The Commission will be publishing two more reports: the Post-Games report (November 2012) and the Making a Difference report based on their Beyond 2012 series of roundtables in March 2013.

The Commission believes that the following examples demonstrated exemplary provision for disabled visitors:

• Games Makers trained to offer assistance if needed. This greatly enhanced the experience for many visitors.  
• First comprehensive mobility service provided at the Games. Mobility buggies ran on a constant rotation. However, there are always lessons to be learnt, for example, seating for those waiting could be provided at future Games and dedicated lanes for the mobility service would help with capacity issues.
• Venue design incorporated excellent accessibility options. This will provide a positive legacy for the Park in particular.

Less successful examples of accessibility for disabled visitors included:

• Visa cash machines at venues did not have audio assistance software installed. Some banks already have this software installed as standard and the Commission is disappointed that Visa did not take up this initiative in time for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
• Audio description. Some users experienced issues with the service, including quality of description and equipment, and confusion of staff over availability.

Notes to editors: The Commission offered commentary on the issues included here throughout the Paralympics. This can be found via the following link: http://www.cslondon.org/csl/blog 

About the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012: The aim of the Commission (http://www.cslondon.org) is to provide independent assurance and commentary to enable the sustainability objectives of the London 2012 programme to be achieved and to support a sustainable legacy.