Paralympics 2012 legacy: accessible housing and disability equality or inequality?

Abstract

The golden summer of sport is now over, but what is the legacy of London 2012 for disabled people? Nadia Ahmed, a disabled student, discusses the difficulties she has faced in finding accessible accommodation in London. She argues that while the Games are over, the United Kingdom still has lots of hurdles to leap when it comes to disability. The article focuses on her own personal experience of not being able to get wheelchair-accessible accommodation in Tower Hamlets, a London borough that is a close neighbour of Stratford where the Olympic and Paralympic games were held. The article raises questions about disability equality following the Paralympics.

Keywords:

• Paralympics 2012
• London
• accessible housing
• diversity
• equality
• disability living allowance
• fraud
• lip-service
• accessibility