walking . is . overrated

To be honest, I’ve never been to China, nor do I have any real desire to do so. However, for many of our nation’s Paralympians, they’ll be heading over there in September, in the valiant quest for sporting glory! The question is, how truly accessible is Beijing? Will our boys find themselves stranded at bus stops and taxi stands with no way to get to the competition venues? I’ve heard a thing or two about Chinese attitudes towards disabled people, rumours backed up by Cao Qiuping, a Chinese lass who plays wheelchair basketball.

She says the Paralympic Games will help reduce prejudice in China against the disabled. “A lot of people take [disabled people] to be obedient and docile. In fact, it’s not like this. Their understanding is wrong. We want to use this opportunity to show them the real appearance of handicapped people.”

The article I lifted that quote from also features an eerie quote from the director of the Chinese Disabled People’s Federation, who said,

“We hope through the work of preparing for the Paralympics we can in Beijing reach national standards. But quickly reaching common, but rather high, international standards is difficult for all places”

Have any of you ventured into the far East? Care to share your experiences? Let’s hope Beijing gets its stuff together by the time our boys begin their journey!