This summer marks ten years since London hosted the 2012 Paralympics. It was hoped the Paralympics would have a lasting legacy on improving access to and participation in sports for disabled people. But the data shows the Games made no meaningful difference in this regard.
One year after the 2012 Paralympics, around 20% of disabled people in England were shown to participate in sports at least once a week. By 2016, this number had declined to only 17%. Ten years on from the Games, disabled people’s monthly participation in sports is still less than half that of non-disabled people in England.
The Paralympics on its own isn’t enough to create more sporting opportunities for disabled people. Instead, leveraging a sport mega event is vital. This means making plans to improve sports participation on the back of it – including, crucially, providing opportunities for people to participate in different sports before, during and after the event. Yet the research shows this largely didn’t happen for the 2012 Paralympics, making it a missed opportunity to turn interest in sports into regular participation.
