Opinion | If Hong Kong is truly proud of its Paralympic athletes, the city should be more disabled-friendly
- Few would describe crowded Hong Kong as disabled-friendly. With its narrow pavements and old buildings, getting from one place to another can be difficult for the able-bodied, let alone those with disabilities
Luckily this year, local free-to-air television highlighted our Paralympians’ journeys and backstories, bringing into focus both their disabilities and incredible abilities.
The Paralympians’ stories are inspirational and motivational. Paralympians have had to achieve a lot more than Olympians, as they not only have to train and qualify to compete on a world stage, but also have to overcome hurdles of health and everyday living that we take for granted.
To me, the Paralympics is the pinnacle of sporting achievement, given these athletes’ starting point of disability. Hong Kong is proud of our disabled athletes’ success, but are we doing enough for the disabled in everyday life?
About 8.1 per cent of the Hong Kong population is considered disabled. From the latest government survey, disabilities are defined as a restriction in body movement, hearing, speech and seeing difficulties, autism, specific learning disabilities, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and mental illness/mood disorder.
03:54
Hong Kong wheelchair climber Lai Chi-wai attempts to scale 320-meter skyscraper
