Embrace you Imperfections #WeThe15

It is rude to stare but not to treat Paralympians equal.

 Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

The Paralympics is over for another three years; we have had one of the most successful Paralympics ever with numerous Paralympic and world records that have been destroyed, all after two years of not competing in competitions. The athletes of the Olympics also participated under the same conditions.


Still, there is one main difference, in my opinion, which makes this Paralympics even more special than ever before, and that is everything else they have had to deal with over the past two years. We have seen some emotional scenes with athletes who achieved against all odds, not letting their disability stop them from achieving their dreams.

Living through the Pandemic has disproportionately affected disabled people of all abilities and backgrounds. Paralympians are no exception; not only have Paralympians had the same restrictions as the Olympians, for example, no competitive play, but they also have other restrictions imposed dependent on their health conditions. There was a percentage of people with disabilities that were given the advice to shield throughout the Pandemic. Having to shield has unfairly impacted disabled athletes much more than their able-bodied counterparts and has led to some very creative training regimes, and so disabled people once again have learned to adapt.

These restrictions have meant that some athletes have not been able to get out and about outside to exercise, let alone compete in their respective sport. Yet, we are witnessing some fantastic athletic achievements through the Paralympic and World records.

At this Paralympic meet, some athletes have had to accept that they would not participate in the Paralympics, so some of these athletes may not be around by 2024. It may also shape the next Paralympics as we may also see several new faces at the next Paralympics, as some of the younger athletes who weren’t quite ready this time will be ready by then.

So how come we see such excellent results if disabled people have been at such a disadvantage throughout the Pandemic? Let’s look at the type of person you have to participate at such a high level in sport; whether you are able-bodied or disabled, you have to have a high level of determination, focus and motivation to be the best you can be. So let’s face it, not everyone would be capable of this no matter their ability.

Disabled people are known for their determination, as many people with disabilities have had to go through challenging times that some able-bodied people will never be able to imagine. As with the Olympics, athletes are happy to be competing again. So add this excitement to how determined disabled athletes are to be the best they can be and how adaptable they are; there is no real surprise that they are going out and smashing records.

The Paralympics always opens up questions around inclusion and equality for disabled people. This year is no different; debates continue whether the Paralympics and Olympics should be combined or stay as separate events.

I’m torn on this; if the two separate events are correctly done, there is equality in separation. It’s when Paralympic athletes become the poor relation that there is inequality witnessed. Since London 2012, C4 has had the right to televise the Paralympics. Their coverage has been exceptional compared to anything the BBC ever offered, and C4 has worked on making disabled people equal, whether within the sport, presenting or as actors. It is now commonplace to see disabled people on C4, and I hope this is just the start of making disability normal.

Since 2012, disability sport has been promoted as it should be, equal to the able-bodied sport. There is fewer ‘arr look at them trying their best’ or equally patronising attitudes. Paralympians are seen for what they are, amazingly talented human beings.

One of my concerns with combining into just one tournament is that will there be the same level of media coverage for the disabled athletes because it will mean the media would have to make an even broader and tough choice on which sport to televise. Who decides which sport or sportsperson is more critical.

This Paralympics gave us the most televised coverage ever, with it being televised on every channel that C4 has control over and all sports being shown via the website. There is so much coverage I have only had time to touch the surface of what is on offer.

There are two primary campaigns related to the Paralympics and disabled rights in general recently launched. The #WeThe15 is a more general long-term campaign for human rights, which I am looking forward to following. The other campaign is explicitly linked to the Paralympics and the coverage that C4 is involved in providing. It is a play on words with the slogan ‘It’s Rude Not to Stare’. As soon as this was publically made available, it made me feel quite uncomfortable. Initially, I wasn’t sure why because I could see what seemed to be what they were trying to achieve, but it actually could be pretty harmful to the disabled community in general. The wider society, who doesn’t have a disability, already stares and would potentially not see the difference between this campaign and how they treat disabled people in real life. Trust me; I have the first-hand experience. But this isn’t being stared at in a good way. When you are just going about your business, being stared at is very uncomfortable and seen as rude in normal circumstances. Unfortunately, there’s nothing ordinary about disability, so people already think it’s okay to stare.

As disabled athletes, the shared experience of participating in the Paralympics is as necessary as participating in the competition itself. It is a time for disabled athletes to come together and share their own experiences and celebrate their achievements. With the thought of mixing both able-bodied and disabled people, I can see why it is being advocated; on the surface of this argument, you can’t get any more inclusive in terms of being in the same tournament. My concern with this is, firstly will that detract from all events that the Paralympians participate in? Will they get equal promotion and coverage throughout the games. Secondly, will the Paralympians get the same experience through mixing in this way? Will it lead to more noticeable segregation instead of letting the Paralympians shine in their limelight?

As Masi Oka says in his opening speech for the C4 coverage:

‘embrace your imperfections’

So how can we embrace imperfections whilst asking disabled people to fit in with able-bodied athletes?

Three of the gold medals achieved were won by Dame Sarah Storey. Her first Paralympics was in 1992 when she was part of the swimming team. From 2005, she switched to cycling and has just gone from strength to strength. She has now won 17 golds over both sports, and she still talks like she may be at other Paralympics. She is one of the most successful Paralympians of all time. Would she get as much coverage if the games were mixed? I’m still undecided on that.

There is a difference in experiencing equality and inclusion; it needs to be adaptable for a society to be equal. An organisation doesn’t have to be adaptable, so becoming inclusive could lead to segregation.

I have my own experience of inclusion not being the same as equality through the education that I experienced. When I was growing up, my parents had to fight for me to go to mainstream education, so I did not go into mainstream education until I was 9. Things have changed over the last four decades; I am undecided on whether they have improved or just changed. It is now more common for disabled people to be included in mainstream education, but does this mean it is right for them. Currently, there is not enough financial or physical support within the education system to support a child with multi limitations to get all the help they require to become equal to their peers. Being a disabled person in a mainstream school can feel incredibly isolating instead of feeling included if done incorrectly.


This feeling often continues into adulthood for people with disabilities, deciding that they can't go to university because there isn't enough support available, having limited access to jobs that they can apply to. When they put themselves out there, they are rejected; it may have taken that person a year to put themselves out there at the fear of rejection, then be left anyway.

Over the past 40 years, society has changed, and we are getting closer to a world where people who weren’t seen as equal can become so. However, there is still a long way to go until others start embracing imperfections and seeing the worth that disabled people offer.

I hope that equality gets closer and more inclusion within society is achieved as the year’s progress. I am looking forward to following the progress made through the #WeThe15 campaign and being involved in change as it happens. Although this is the case, I am initially disappointed at the lack of progress made over the few weeks of the Paralympics. This was the perfect time to raise the profile of the #WeThe15 campaign, and in my opinion, it fell short of what it was trying to achieve.