(Untitled)

[yasonablack]

I know there's some issues going on with the Olympics (isn't there always...) but check out this bad ass advertisement for the paralympics!

Meet The Superhumans In This Ass-Kicking Paralympics Spot"For some, thinking about the differently abled athletes competing in the Paralympics might elicit a faintly pitying "Good for them," or perhaps, "How

Comments

[nightshade1972]

Love it! :-)

[misheymo]

i love it too!

[lilacsigil]

I so want to see more Paralympics on my screen this year! Last Olympics, there was a 1 hour "highlights" special daily plus the wheelchair rugby finals and that was it!

[sammason]

I don't generally watch sport on telly but now you've got me thinking that I might take a look at the Paralympics.

[cariadwen]

I have definately decided to watch the paralympics. Even though I avoid sports with a passion, they have captured my imagination.

[lilenth]

Oh yay, like we need more "supercrip/tinytim" stereotypes. As a disabled person as much as the pity pisses me off, the supercrip notion is equally as damaging, because if you're not a paralympic's champion, people tend to hold you up against them and argue that you're "not trying hard enough" and "want to be sick" cos if so and so can win gold at the paralympics with no legs why can't you?

Nobody goes up to able bodied people and asked why they aren't competing in the 100 metre sprint at the games, but people regularly pull that shit with people like me "oh why aren't you playing X wheelchair sport?".

[nightshade1972]

This is true. Those of us with "invisible" disabilities get hit hard by this particular stereotype. Because I "look" young and healthy, my husband and I get glares when we park in a handicapped spot. I get glares for using my walker. Clearly it's a ploy for sympathy, and I just think I'm a Speshul Snowflake who's too good to do things the "little people" take for granted. The ppl in the Paralympics walk a fine line (so to speak). On the one hand, they're a great role model for disabled ppl who are convinced of their own worthlessness. On the other hand, as you pointed out, they can give able-bodied ppl the idea that any disabled person who simply "tries hard enough" can do the things the Paralympians do.