Vancouver 2010 Winter Paralympic Games Research?

In keeping with the accessible tourism theme of the Olympics, I draw attention to the opening ceremony of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Paralympic Games and all competition coverage that it is provided free online by the International Paralympic Committee’s own broadcaster (Paralympic Sport TV, 2010). Brilliant coverage! The Games sites and Vancouver generally will get a full access testing by the 40 countries competing with their 1350 athletes, officials and countless supporters (Tourism Vancouver, 2010) testing the Accessible Tourism Strategy set up by a consortium of organizations (2010 Legacies Now, 2010). The premise of the strategy incorporates access for the major dimensions of disability access including: mobility; Deaf or hearing impaired; and blind or vision impaired. To this end, the Vancouver Organising Committee (VANOC) for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games has produced an accessibility guide as a compendium to the spectator guide (Vancouver Organising Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), 2010). This guide is also being supplemented by participants and visitors to the Paralympics by some excellent local access guides and blogs such as Whistler for the Disabled (2010) that provides a wealth of information for travelers and white powder lovers. As previously mentioned on the blog, a book is currently in the preparation on Paralympic legacy by David Legg and Keith Gilbert titled The Paralympic Games: Legacy and Regeneration (2010). Yet, a notable omission is that not one of the chapters deals with Winter Paralympic Games. Hopefully, someone in Vancouver will rectify the situation by documenting the planning, operation and legacy of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Games. What is quite often lost from the “official” history of Olympic and Paralympic Games is the central role that disability advocates play in ensuring an equitable, dignified and independent experience for those that attend as participants, team management, employees, volunteers, spectators and tourists alike. For example, the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games was one where the official record (Olympic Coordination Authority, 2001; Sydney Paralympic Organising Committee, 2001) differed to more critical observations of Games processes (Cashman & Darcy, 2008; Darcy, 2003; Goggin & Newell, 2001; Olympic & Paralympic Disability Advocacy Service, 2000). What was omitted was the critical role of the underlying human rights framework, building codes and standards, and the advocacy of disability organizations and individuals with disabilities had in contesting, collaborating, protesting, litigating and assisting all aspects of planning and operations in the seven years prior to the opening ceremonies. Let’s hope that some Canadian researchers document the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games disability and access processes.

References

2010 Legacies Now. (2010). Accessible Tourism Strategy: accessibility rating icon guidelines business Available from http://www.2010legaciesnow.com/fileadmin/user_upload/Accessible_Tourism/Brand_Standard-Business.pdf

Cashman, R., & Darcy, S. (Eds.). (2008). Benchmark Games: The Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. Petersham, NSW Australia: Walla Walla Press in conjunction with the Australian Centre for Olympic Studies.

Darcy, S. (2003). The politics of disability and access: the Sydney 2000 Games experience. Disability & Society, 18(6), 737-757.

Goggin, G., & Newell, C. (2001). Crippling Paralympics? Media, disability and Olympism. Media International Australia, 97(Nov), 71-83.

Legg, D., & Gilbert, K. (Eds.). (2010). The Paralympic Games: Legacy and Regeneration. Champaign, IL USA: Commonground Publishing.

Olympic & Paralympic Disability Advocacy Service. (2000). Final Report to the Department of Family and Community Services. Sydney: Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services.

Olympic Coordination Authority. (2001). Accessible Operations Post Game Report - Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympics Games. Sydney: Olympic Coordination Authority.

Paralympic Sport TV (Producer). (2010, 15 March) Vancouver 2010. Paralympic Sport TV. Live TV feed

Sydney Paralympic Organising Committee. (2001). Paralympic Post Games Report (1 Vol). Sydney: SPOC.

Tourism Vancouver. (2010). 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Games. Retrieved 15 March, 2010

Vancouver Organising Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). (2010). Spectator guide: accessibility. Retrieved 14 March, 2010, from http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-spectator-guide/accessibility/

Whistler for the Disabled. (2010). The 2010 Whistler Accessibility Blog. Retrieved 14 March, 2010, from http://www.whistlerforthedisabled.com/blog/accessible-whistler-1-888-933-9383/