University of East London Homepage

The Paralympic Games: empowerment or sideshow? Leading academics launch new book at London House, Beijing

Wednesday 20 August 2008

The success of the Paralympic Games over the past decade has transformed perceptions of disability and inspired and empowered millions of people of all abilities to take part in sport and physical activity. But the status of Paralympism is ambivalent, and in many ways it is still seen as a sideshow to the ‘real’ games.

An accessible and insightful new book on the history, development and cultural significance of the Paralympic Games around the world is launched today, Wednesday 20 August, at London House in Beijing.

The Paralympic Games: empowerment or sideshow, is edited by Professor Keith Gilbert, Director of the Centre for Disabilities, Sport and Health at the University of East London (UEL), UK, and Professor Otto Schantz, Dean of the Institute of Sports Sciences at the University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany.

Host city representatives from Beijing and London, Paralympic athletes, academics, students and alumni from London universities will gather for the launch and reception at London House, part of a series of events organised by London Higher and the London Development Agency (LDA).

Professor Keith Gilbert, former team manager of the Australian Paralympic Team and a leading expert on disability sport, said: “The Paralympic movement started at the 1948 London Games, and arguably came of age in Sydney 2000. 60 years on, the Paralympics are transforming the way in which society views people with disabilities.

“Athletes such as Tanni Grey Thompson are tremendous role models and champions for disability and are encouraging people of all abilities to take up sport. However, there are also a great many issues around the Games and our aim in this book is to investigate these honestly and in detail as we prepare for Beijing 2008 and then beyond to London 2012.“

Key themes of the book include Olympism versus Paralympism, inside views, public and media perceptions, cultural diversity within the Paralympic movement and future directions.

To celebrate the links between Beijing 2008 and London 2012, the University of East London is launching a sports scholarship programme for Chinese students with partner institutions in China.

For details and pictures contact Daniel Cherry: 020 8223 2194

University of East London: London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Office

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

Information for screenreader users:

For a general description of these pages and an explanation of how they should work with screenreading equipment please follow this link: Link to general description

For further information on this web site’s accessibility features please follow this link: Link to accessibility information