Case Study → Cultural Diffusion - Athletes at Rio Summer Paralympic Games (Edexcel A-Level Geography): Revision Notes

Case Study → Cultural diffusion - Athletes at Rio Summer Paralympic games

•                                                       The 2016 Summer Paralympics*
  

Context	● Cultural attitudes towards disability are changing globally ● The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities seeks to bring cultural change on a global scale in line with the Universal declaration of Human rights
Previous experiences	● Not always the case that disabled people had equal rights ○ In The US, sterilisation programmes that sometimes targeted disabled people lasted well into the 20th century
The transition	● A seismic shift in cultural attitudes has taken place in the US and globally ● Global media has helped to turn the Paralympic games into one of the world's biggest sporting events by celebrating the physical achievements of elite athletes with disabilities ● Sporting events specifically for those with disabilities began in 1948 after WW2 - allowed veterans to participate ● First official Paralympic games occurred in 1960 in Rome • 23 countries participated ○ In Rio 2016, 159 nations took part ● Attitudes towards disabled people are changing dramatically, however there are still serious issues of inequality which need to be addressed