Back in 2012, I took my family to a day of athletics at the London Paralympics. We were all looking forward to the occasion but, as I walked with my young sons towards the Olympic stadium, I must admit I felt a small pang of disappointment at having missed out on tickets to the actual Olympics a few weeks previously.
That feeling quickly dissipated. By chance we were sat in the front row, and the energy, exuberance and talent of the para-athletes – cheered on by 90,000 raucous spectators – was unforgettable. But witnessing such incredible feats at close quarters made me realise with some shame how little I thought about the way society perceives disabled people, and about the ways in which their opportunities are limited.
As the 2024 Paralympics opens in Paris, this week’s Guardian Weekly picks up the subject. Angelique Chrisafis reports on how it’s hoped the Games can similarly change perceptions and create a positive legacy in France, where only 1.4% of sports clubs have the capacity to include people with a disability. It’s also hoped the Games will have an impact on workplaces, transport and disability awareness more generally.
The image on page 13 of this week’s edition of the triumphant 2012 Team GB sprinter Richard Whitehead, alongside Ade Adepitan’s thought-provoking commentary piece, took me right back to that summer’s day in London. A former gold-medallist wheelchair basketball paralympian, Ade is now a well-known TV presenter in the UK and his regular Guardian column from the Games will be well worth following.
As the shocking experience of Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson on a British train this week shows, even the most developed societies still have much to do in bringing change for disabled people. So let’s hope the Paris Paralympics can turn that thought into renewed action.
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Five essential reads in this week’s edition
1
Spotlight | Families on the frontline of the mpox outbreak
Carlos Mureithi and Ruth Alonga report from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where 96% of Africa’s 17,000 reported cases of the viral disease this year have occurred.
2
Health | The quest to end the menopause
Women’s ovaries affect everything from metabolism to mood – so some scientists are trying to slow the way they age. But is it a good idea? Amy Fleming investigates.
3
Feature | The evolution of Kamala Harris
After Kamala Harris’s triumphant speech at last week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Janell Ross’s profile tells the story of the vice-president’s rapid rise to become a US presidential contender.
4
Opinion | Escaping Russia’s legacy
Ukraine marked its independence day last weekend with the country still facing an uncertain future. Olga Rudenko’s eloquent piece explains why it was a bittersweet celebration of a defiant nation that refuses to bow to a tyrant and his armies.
5
Culture | The podcast that made true crime truly popular
On the 10th anniversary of the streaming hit Serial, the show’s founder Sarah Koenig talks to Fiona Sturges about how it tapped into the amateur sleuth in us all.
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What else we’ve been reading
The Museum of London is building a new home at the city’s old Smithfield food market, where a contractor has found a labyrinth of subterranean brick vaults that no one knew about. The developers are now deciding what to do with their Victorian discovery under the busy London streets. Esther Addley details how they will incorporate it into the new museum when it opens in 2026 ... somehow. Anthony Naughton, assistant editor
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Other highlights from the Guardian website
• Gallery | Edinburgh’s annual arts festival 2024 – in pictures
• Audio | Episode 1 of the Black Box podcast series on AI
• Video | What Ukraine’s incursion into Russia means for the war
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