‘A mockery of equality’: an exploratory investigation into disabled activists’ views of the Paralympic Games

Abstract

This article offers an exploratory analysis of the opinions of disabled activists towards the Paralympic Games. With the use of a qualitative online survey, the work focuses on the perceptions of disabled individuals (n = 32) who are not Paralympic athletes but are affiliated to the disability rights group, the United Kingdom Disabled People’s Council. Working on the premise that the views of disabled activists have been excluded from Paralympic sports discourse to date, the results illustrate a nuanced yet negative view of the Games to contrast with an existing, yet overly positive, academic narrative. Participants were particularly cynical of the portrayal and production of the Games and its Paralympic athletes as they perceived that the wider population of disabled people is misrepresented. The overwhelming perception in this preliminary analysis suggests that the Paralympic Games can be counterproductive to disability rights beyond sport.

Keywords:

• disabled activists
• Paralympic movement
• disability rights
• disability politics
• disabled people’s movement

Acknowledgements

The researchers would like to thank the UKDPC CEO for distributing our online survey. They would also like to thank the 32 people who took the time to complete the online survey.

Notes

1. Throughout this paper, the term ‘disabled people’ will be used as it is the preferred term of the UKDPC.

2. The two books reviewed by Danielle Peers are Bailey (2008) and Steadward and Peterson (1997).

3. The four articles published by Stanton (1997) in the Coalition magazine were ‘Sporting Connections’ by Lorraine Gradwell, ‘Disabled People in Sport (or Not?)’ by Stuart Braye, ‘Mutually Exclusive?’ by Helen Cogan, and ‘Windsurfing and Disability’ by Graham Clarke.

4. The British Council (of Organizations) of Disabled People was established in 1981 and changed its name to the United Kingdom Disabled People’s Council (UKDPC) in 2006.

5. The national disability sports organizations are UK Deaf Sport, Mencap Sport, Wheelpower, British Blind Sport, British Amputee and Les autres Sports Association, Special Olympics GB, Cerebral Palsy Sport, and the Dwarf Sports Association UK.