The 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil promoted the games through a series of exquisitely produced videos that show people with disabilities performing incredible maneuvers of skill in “Yes I can”, around the idea that disabled people are inspirational and can do anything.
In 2021, organizers for the Tokyo Summer Games sought to reject the idea of disabled people as inspiration or objects of pity, instead focusing on the reality of disabled people as equal members of society – with the same interests, desires and responsibilities as nondisabled people.
OUR TAKE: The evolution in messaging around the Paralympics is representative of the disability community’s move to set boundaries and reclaim their identity, with a particular focus on breaking down the barriers to inclusion – many of which are founded on an antiquated understanding of disability.
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