The 2010 Paralympic Games improve Vancouver’s accessibility agenda By: Jennifer Langan Leveraging Accessibility: 2010 Paralympic Games With the 2010 Paralympic Games less than three years away, Vancouver and the rest of British Columbia have an opportunity to eliminate barriers that keep many with disabilities from participating in all aspects of community life. The Paralympic movement is like a magnifying glass focusing attention on the need to improve accessibility for the disabled in our region. By promoting awareness regarding the importance of accessibility, the Paralympic Games will enhance the lives of all with special needs. In this paper I illustrate why improvements to accessibility in Vancouver and around the globe can enrich our lives. I also describe the history of the Paralympic Games and examine the legacies they have left for the disabled. Lastly, several initiatives being implemented by Vancouver and Whistler leading up to and beyond the 2010 Games are outlined. No one can forget the powerful image of Vancouver’s Mayor Sam Sullivan waving the Olympic flag from his wheelchair at the closing ceremonies for the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy. He is the first quadriplegic in Olympic history to accept the flag on behalf of a host city. The image, viewed by 500 million worldwide, along with the accompanying statement made one thing clear: Canada intends to host the most accessible Olympic and Paralympic Games ever. . In 2010 British Columbia is hosting one of the largest sporting events in the world: the Paralympics. From March 12 to 21, the Paralympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler. This is a once in a life time opportunity for all
Canadians. For 10 days these world class athletes will compete right here in our own backyard. Over 40 countries and 1,300 Paralympic athletes will participate.1
Why is Accessibility Important? The story of the Paralympic movement extends beyond the world of sport. It encompasses not only the athletes but all those with disabilities from all walks of life. Whether or not one is an athlete or faces a disability, the Paralympic movement celebrates the fact that we all have the capacity to achieve personal excellence. The Game’s message is that everyone, especially those with disabilities, can overcome life’s obstacles. The Paralympic movement is important because it inspires people to be the best they can. When I watch disabled sporting events, I feel a sense of empowerment. As an avid skier, I am inspired every time I witness a blind or physically impaired skier cross the finish line. Every athlete who competes at a world-class level has talent, dedication, passion and love for their sport. Having a disability should have no bearing on the opportunity to achieve excellence at a world class level. It is vitally important that we identify potential in every human being; increasing accessibility in our communities is one way of realizing this goal. Improving accessibility in Vancouver and the rest of Canada, will contribute to moving the nation forward in terms of integration. Integrating marginalized groups, such as those with disabilities, into local communities promotes diversity and makes our region more livable. It is also good for the economy. The physically impaired are unlikely to patronize businesses that fail to accommodate their needs, particularly with regard to access. Indeed, for many businesses, the disabled represent an untapped market.
If you own a small business or are an employee of a large corporation, ask yourself how accessible the business is? And remember there is a difference between accessibility and convenience: Your company may meet building code standards for accessibility, but this doesn’t necessarily equate with convenience. A few weeks ago I dined with a disabled friend in the city and was embarrassed by what passed for access for the physically impaired. I had called the restaurant earlier to confirm that it was wheelchair-accessible; however, when we arrived, the host escorted us to the back alley and led us into the restaurant through what appeared to be a garbage door. I was mortified. Had I known of these arrangements, I would have chosen another restaurant. The disabled face enough obstacles; they don’t need the additional burden posed by inaccessible public venues. This is unfair and must change. As the agenda for greater accessibility moves forward in Vancouver, the city should mandate that businesses develop strategies for accommodating the needs of the disabled. One of Vancouver’s strategic goals for the upcoming decade is to make British Columbia the leading province in Canada in terms of providing accessibility for persons with disabilities and special needs.2 The 2010 Paralympic Games will draw attention to British Columbia’s commitment to becoming more accessible. Being on the world stage in 2010 will provide the opportunity to highlight the importance of accessibility, as well as showcase how it can be achieved in ways that enhance integration.
How the Paralympics promotes accessibility? The Paralympic Games is more than a world-class sporting event: it has evolved into a movement for social change for the disabled. As this movement focuses on
improving the lives of the disabled, the need to expand awareness and education of the Games is imperative. If Vancouver expects the 2010 Games to leave a legacy for people with all abilities, we must educate the public in regard to what the Paralympics is all about. It is essential to understand the history of the Games if their importance is to be appreciated. In addition, in order for people to connect with Paralympic athletes, they must have access to general information about the Games such as who qualifies as a Paralympic athlete. The 2010 Paralympic Winter Games present the opportunity to build greater awareness of the achievements of people with disabilities. The more recognition the disabled receive owing to the Paralympic Games, the greater the likelihood of improvements in accessibility. The Paralympics are often confused with the Special Olympics, where athletes with mental disabilities compete.3 The Special Olympics focus on participation rather than competition. All Paralympians are elite athletes and train year around at a world class level. Like the Olympics, the Paralympics take place every two years, alternating between summer and winter events. The country hosting the Olympics also hosts the Paralympics, which follow one week after the closing ceremonies for the Olympics. Competitive sport for athletes with disabilities is a relatively new phenomenon. The father of Paralympic sport, Sir Ludwing Guttmann, established in 1944 a spinal injury center at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Great Britain. In his view sport played a vital part in the rehabilitation process. The concept of sport as a means of recovery quickly took on a recreational and competitive character. The first Paralympics was held in Rome in 1960: it was a five day event with 400 athletes from twenty-three countries competing. 4
The Paralympic Winter Games has always been larger in scale than its summer counterpart. The first Winter Games was held in 1976 in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden. It included competitions in Alpine and Nordic Skiing for amputees and visually impaired athletes, in addition to a Sledge Racing demonstration. Since then the scale of the Games has increased dramatically. Over 450 athletes from more than 39 countries took part in the 2006 Turin Games. A new sport called Wheelchair curling also made its debut at Turin. Currently, there are four winter sports featured in the Games: Alpine Skiing, Ice Sledge Hockey, Nordic Skiing and Wheelchair Curling.5 As interest in the Paralympic movement mounted around the world, pressure to institutionalize it built steadily. In 1982 the International Co-ordination Committee of World Sports Organizations for the Disabled was established to be superseded by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) 10 years later. The governing body of the Paralympic Movement is The International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The IPC aims at promoting Paralympic values, including courage, determination, inspiration and equality.6 As the organizing authority for the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games the IPC is “… committed to enabling Paralympic athletes to achieve sporting excellence and developing sporting opportunities for all persons with a disability from the beginner to the elite level.”7 The IPC’s commitment to engaging the disabled in sporting activities underscores the importance of improving accessibility in recreational facilities and training centers. The IPC has worked hard to increase awareness of sports for the disabled. One reason the movement has grown so quickly is the fact that the word “Paralympic” is relatively new. “Paralympic” is derived from the Greek para meaning beside or
alongside and “Olympics”, an obvious reference to the Olympic Games.8 This demonstrates both the similarity and close relationships between the two movements. Owing to this close association, people around the world readily identify with the Paralympics. The Paralympic movement has also gained international recognition is as a result of media exposure. A major breakthrough in this respect came during the 1996 Atlanta Games with the development of a quasi-host broadcaster that provided international television coverage. It was the first time that the Paralympics received television coverage that approached that of its Olympic counterpart in terms of quality.9 As the Paralympic Games evolve into a global spectacle and people become more aware of sports for the disabled, the issue of accessibility will assume a more prominent position in social and political agendas. Leading up to and beyond the 2010 Paralympic Games, Vancouver and Whistler have demonstrated leadership in addressing accessibility issues. An example of an initiative by the 2010 Vancouver Organizing Committee aimed at enhancing awareness of the Paralympic Games is the move to combine the Olympic and Paralympic organizing committees under one umbrella. I believe that removing barriers between the two committees will help the Paralympic Games gain public support in promoting issues like accessibility.
Accessibility Initiatives undertaken by Vancouver and Whistler In 2010 the world will focus on Olympic and Paralympic athletes. There can be no better opportunity to showcase and address the importance of accessibility. Clearly,
accessibility is essential to creating an inclusive environment, but what does this term mean? Accessibility is defined as the process of removing physical barriers with a view to ensuring that all people with disabilities can be present within a community.10 Measuring accessibility focuses on how accommodating the community is with respect to people with a wide range of needs. Evidence of accessibility includes housing units as well as other types of buildings, along with sidewalks, roads, plazas and other structures that are “disabled-friendly”. One of the province’s long-term strategic goals is to build the most accessible environment in Canada for persons with disabilities and special needs. British Columbia and the city of Vancouver have implemented several changes to transportation, recreational and accommodation systems aimed at making everyday life easier for people with visual, hearing or mobility impairment.11 In 1990, Vancouver became the first Canadian city to introduce scheduled bus service for the disabled. According to Tourism Vancouver, by the end of 2007 all bus routes in the Lower Mainland will feature fully accessible buses.12 All Sky Train stations and BC ferries in Vancouver are currently accessible to those with special needs. Two of Vancouver’s most popular tourist attractions are fully accessible. Stanley Park offers a free wheelchair-accessible trolley, and Grouse Mountain’s Sky-Rider gondola is accessible to those with special needs. There also exist local organizations that provide information and support to Vancouver visitors with special needs, for example, The Canadian Paraplegic Association (www.canparaplegic) and the Coalition of People with Disabilities ([604] 875-0188). Vancouver International Airport was designed to be the most barrier free facility of its kind in the world.13 It currently exceeds both national and provincial Building Code
Standards for people with a hearing, visual, or mobile impairment. The airport provides low mounted flight information monitors, along with maps and signs indicating special routes for mobile impaired visitors. Accessible bus service is provided by Airporter ([604] 273- 8436). All these initiatives demonstrate a strong commitment to bringing about social change within the broader community. During the Olympic bidding process, Vancouver made efforts to address the issue of accessibility. They were successful in establishing a non-profit organization called Legacies Now. Legacies Now has helped define how the 2010 Games would implement the most sustainable and socially inclusive practices before, during and after the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This organization works at a grassroots level, assisting communities in identifying and creating inclusive social and economic opportunities.14 On March 11, 2006 Legacies Now released an innovative initiative titled ‘Measuring Up’. Measuring Up is designed to assist municipalities and communities in BC to assess the degree to which people with special needs are able to participate actively in community life. It represents not only a guide for making communities more accessible but also a process for consulting with disabled citizens, one based on collaborative dialogue. Its intent is to raise awareness of those with disabilities by discussing initiatives ranging from redesigning public spaces to be more accessible to promoting employment and community involvement on the part of the disabled. Measuring Up was built upon commitments made by the Rick Hansen Foundation, the City of Vancouver, local disability groups, including the City’s Advisory Council on Disabilities Issues, and councilors such as Sam Sullivan and Tim Louis. Vancouver is home to many advocates that promote and celebrate the integration of disabled people. These folks are working
hard to make our community more accessible and inclusive. For more information about Measuring Up, visit the website: www.2010legaciesnow.com. The Resort Municipality of Whistler was selected as the pilot community for the Measuring Up program. Combining the latter’s recommendations with those in Whistler’s own 2020 Report, the municipality launched the Accessibility Project. This initiative outlines strategies for creating greater accessibility.15 What better time to make the requisite changes given that Whistler is to host the 2010 Paralympic Games? Indeed, the Paralympics underscores the fact that an inclusive society is important and accessibility plays a major role in developing an inclusive environment for those with special needs. To achieve immediate and short-term goals, RWOW is focusing on making disability-friendly changes in the community, for example, improving signage for buildings in and around the Village, developing a barrier free route map, and promoting an accessibility awareness campaign called “The Whistler Way”. For more information about Whistler visit the website: www.whistlerblackcomb.com. More recently, the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program and disabled skiers of BC have collaborated with Legacies Now to create a program for disabled athletes called the Whistler Adaptive Ski Program (WASP). Initial funding was provided by the 2010 Legacies Now and Pacific Sport. WASP is committed to helping people with disabilities become involved in snow sports. This not-for-profit organization now provides opportunities for thousands with a wide range of disabilities to participate in sports and recreational programs.16 Programs like WASP are contributing to Whistler’s efforts to become more inclusive. Vancouver and Whistler currently lead the world in the area of
accessibility. In 2010 these host cities have a unique opportunity to showcase their achievements with regard to making British Columbia more inclusive.
Future Plans The Paralympic Games can be an agent for change with respect to enhancing accessibility for the disabled. For its part the IPC should strive to maintain its core values of courage, determination, inspiration and equality, along with the aim of educating people regarding accessibility issues. In addition, if it is to protect its identity, the Paralymic Games must uphold the amateur sporting ethic, especially with regard to fairness and honesty. Many believe that the ultimate goal of the IPC is to integrate Olympic and Paralympic events; however, according to Canadian Paralympic athlete Jeff Adams, the Paralympics needs to remain a separate entity. For Adams, the Paralympics represents mind, body and spirit, in addition to constituting a movement that helps raise awareness of disabled people. With the Paralympics less than three years away, Vancouver, along with the rest of BC, has the opportunity to remove barriers that have traditionally prevented people with disabilities from participating in and contributing to their communities. The Paralympic movement is a magnifying glass focusing public attention on the issue of accessibility. If our country is serious about becoming a leader in this area, certain groups must become involved. All three levels of government, along with large corporations, local business, and the educational system, have an important role to play in moving the agenda forward with regard to accessibility. The IPC requires more sponsors, funding and support if it is to be effective in promoting disabled sport. The Paralympics
represents so much more than a sporting event. It serves to inspire in us all a renewed appreciation for the indomitable nature of the human spirit. I encourage all to take in at least one Paralympic event in 2010. “The Olympics is where heros are made. The Paralympics is where heros come from.”17