# Benefiting from the Olympics

Category: Let's talk

## Post 1 by Goblin (I have proven to myself and the world that I need mental help) on Monday, 05-Mar-2007 7:50:31

Has the attitude towards disabled people improved or altered in your country, after hosting the olympics.
Have facilities and rights for disabled people improved such as access ect.

## Post 2 by Grace (I've now got the ggold prolific poster award! wahoo! well done to me!) on Monday, 05-Mar-2007 20:19:03

Don't know so much that the Olympic Games in general have contributed to the ongoing advancement of the putting in place of the various access ramps and so forth..
Perhaps more so the Special Olympic Games have added to the public awareness of the needs of those that are in wheelchairs and people like Christopher Reeves who for a decade after his accident who made the vast amount of public appearances to audiences everywhere, educating people of the needs. He alone and with his wife did more to generate an interest in persons to inspire them to get out in communities and take an active role in providing for access and I think more importantly of not being afraid of persons who are in wheelchairs. My thots are that Christopher Reeve gave people to see and take note of the person first and not the wheelchair. Whereas, sad to say I think some folks when a person approaches in a wheelchair are so beyond, oh I don’t know the words to use but simply beyond really understanding that a real live breathing feeling person is there.