Sports Personality Of The Year 2011 Presentation Was A Victory For Disabled People
Unfortunately for Eleanor Simmonds, she did not win the Young Sports Personality Of The Year Award for a second time.
However, the presentation of the main award was, in my opinion, quite a significant victory for Paralympians- and disabled people everywhere. Why? Because the winner, Mark Cavendish, received his award from none other than Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson.
I would like to thank the person who made this decision. The choice of a disabled person, however famous she may be, to present such a recognised, special and important mainstream award to its non disabled winner says a lot about the BBC’s attitude to disabled people.
It also, of course, says a lot about how much more recognised disability sport and its stars have become in Britain over the last few years.
I long for the day when the sight of a non disabled award winner standing next to a presenter in a wheelchair at any televised awards ceremony will not send me searching for the nearest computer to write a blog post of celebration. I long for the day when that will become a ‘normal’ sight on anyone’s TV screen. On that day, we will have been fully included in another area of ‘normal’ life.
But that day hasn’t come yet, and maybe I long for too much. For now I write with the natural pride of one disabled person for another disabled person who has taken centre stage at a big moment.
To paraphrase the words of an astronaut I have always admired- one small award for Mark Cavendish also led to one giant roll forward for disabled people all over the UK.
Same Difference 
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