By Staff Reporter Zhang Yunxing
The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games gave the world a feast of competitive sport, and now the Paralympics is showing us the beauty inside every human being, and teaching us respect for disabled people.
Respect requires effort and investment. Buildings and facilities must be built with the needs of disabled people in mind. Beijing promised to make the city a barrier-free zone, and not just for the duration of the Olympics. The city has gone some way to keeping its word. More than 200 lifts and escalators were installed in Paralympic venues. 329 disabled-access toilets have been set up citywide. There are 1,541-kilometers of guide paths for the visually impaired on 880 of the city's major streets. We could go on with more statistics, but the above are enough to grasp the efforts the city is making in terms of hardware.
But it is not just about facilities. Disabled people deserve, and have a right to, our care and understanding. New, barrier-free facilities will make life easier for the disabled, but the real prize will be if the Paralympics leaves a spiritual legacy of human understanding.
Li Yue's ballet performance at the opening ceremony of the Paralympics moved the world. The 11-year-old girl, who survived the May 12 devastate earthquake in Sichuan Province, but lost her left leg said, "although I lost my leg in the earthquake, I will never give up my dream of being a ballet dancer." Li's words so moved Zhang Jigang, director of the opening ceremony, that he invited her to perform at the ceremony.
People will not forget the incident during the opening ceremony, when the torch held by the visually impaired torch bearer Ping Yali, China's first Paralympic gold winner, failed to light. Another torch bearer, Sun Changping, gave Ping his own torch. Ping said yesterday her torch failed, not because she could not see, but because of a technical problem. But there was no need for an explanation. Spectators did not care what the reason was, they just warmly applauded the two athletes.
Understanding is not the same as pity. Many people either consciously or unconsciously pity people with disabilities. But disabled people need equality and respect, not sympathy.
There are many ways of showing respect. For example, by asking permission before giving a hand to disabled people in wheelchairs. They may not need your help. Remember to keep quiet when watching visually-impaired athletes performing. The fact that the parade of Paralympic athletes took place before the performance at the opening ceremony was also a mark of respect.
The Paralympics is not just a version of the Olympics for disabled people; it is a great sporting event for all of us. And above all, it is the Olympic championship in showing respect to each other.
(China.org.cn September 13, 2008)