Opinion Articles

Paralympics: A Lost Opportunity*
By Catherine Mahony
Catherine Mahony is the Communications Co-ordinator for Centacare Newcastle, the welfare agency of the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. She also offers Disability Awareness workshops to the community.

Do you remember the wholehearted way in which Australia got behind the Sydney 2000 Paralympics? As the host nation we proudly supported the athletes - celebrating their victories and feeling their losses. Schools recognised the educational opportunity the Paralympics provided and Hunter kids headed to Sydney to participate in the spectacle.

There are stories of people who use wheelchairs being stopped in the streets and asked if they were wheelchair basketball players. I was certainly pleased about the opportunity that the Paralympics created to raise awareness and educate the community about the issues and experiences of people with disabilities.

Media coverage was outstanding. It focused on the athlete's performances, told us something of their stories and raised the profile of disability in a very positive way. As well as enjoying live TV and radio coverage of the events, we learned something of the stories and circumstances of the athletes. We learned about their training and the ways in which their disabilities are accommodated. We were haunted by the reality that a significant number of their disabilities had been acquired through the intolerable human cruelty of landmines.

But in Athens 2004, there is a disappointing lack of coverage and attention for the Paralympics. Perhaps this is inevitable. It isn't in our backyard this time. It's happening on the other side of the world in the middle of the night! But it is nevertheless a disappointing lost opportunity.

There are numerous economic, social and cultural factors causing the Paralympics to be overshadowed by the Olympics. Paralympians don't attract the same level of government support or commercial sponsorship. There are fewer athletes participating in a smaller competition.

I think the fact that the Paralympics are held after the Olympics is the reason that they don't often receive the attention and support they deserve. By the time the Olympics have saturated our lives for weeks, we have little energy and interest left for the Paralympics.

Why can't the Paralympics be integrated into the Olympics? Why can't the events run side by side? What a powerful model and message that would send to the rest of society - to the education system and the workforce; to social clubs and community organisations; to government and the disability sector. It would be a compelling example of integration at its best, where we provide the necessary resources to accommodate disability.

When this happens, disability is no longer the focus. Instead, the focus is on people together, pursuing excellence and justice; accepting, accommodating and celebrating each other's gifts, struggles and limitations. There is so much goodwill - highlighted by the contribution of volunteers at the Olympics and the Paralympics - that I believe it is possible.

It's not easy to keep the issues, experiences and needs of people with disabilities on the social and economic agenda. While disability may be part of the lives of a significant percentage of our population, we are still the minority.

So let's not waste opportunities like the Paralympics which only come around every four years. Let's build on the momentum we gathered as a nation during 2000.

The Paralympics and Olympics provide us with a unique forum to say something important about humanity. Whether or not competitors have a disability, they teach us much about striving for the best within ourselves and each other, teamwork, and making meaning from adversity in whatever forms it comes.

* This piece was published in The Newcastle Herald, 27th September 2004.