Paralympic awareness goes global on International Paralympic Day

Sochi 2014 Ambassador and Paralympic Champion, Olesya Vladykina is set to present a series of unique films at the celebrations marking International Paralympic Day in London. Olesya will show the films which highlight Sochi 2014’s strong commitment to the Paralympic Games. The first film will be a biopic on Olesya herself and the second will be on Aleksey Ashapatov, Russian Paralympic champion and record-breaker at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. Aleksey was the first ever athlete to receive the "Our Champion" title, an initiative set up by Sochi 2014 to promote the Russian Paralympic team and to improve public recognition for athletes with a disability who live in different regions of the country. Both videos are available on Sochi 2014 video stream http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElGVacwaQR0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAOevpo7YAs

This year, for the first time ever festivities will take place in the host city of the next Olympic and Paralympic Games, London. The event, organized by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in conjunction with the London 2012 Organizing Committee will showcase a total of 20 different sports that will allow the public to gain a closer look at the various Paralympic disciplines. In 2014, it will be Sochi’s turn to welcome the athletes to Russia and a number of initiatives are already in full operation in order to prepare efficiently for a successful Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi 2014.

Whilst attending International Paralympic Day, the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee delegation also announced that they are set to host the European Paralympic Committee in Moscow for their General Assembly meeting between 23rd - and 24th September. The non-profit-organization is outlining its plans to further support sports for people living with disabilities and improving understanding of disability amongst the population.

When the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Games get underway the city is set to play host to 1,350 athletes and officials from 40 different countries. To ensure that it are fully prepared to accommodate these athletes effectively the Organizing Committee have already put together a number of Paralympic Awareness programmes including the "Accessibility Map". The map is a ground-breaking tool which will show barrier-free access to the Paralympic grounds in Sochi.

Dmitry Chernyshenko, President and CEO of Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee said:

"The Paralympic Games are a very special event for our country and we hope that they will help change the attitude of Russian people towards disability. Furthermore, we would like to play a central role in contributing to a more accessible environment".

On a visit to Sochi in June, the IPC praised the progress that Sochi 2014 had made in preparations for the Paralympic Games and highlighted that their major areas of focus were progress in creating a barrier-free environment, the construction of the Paralympic mountain villages, and the preparations for the first Paralympic test events. Despite its achievements, Sochi 2014 recognises that Russia has a long way to go in improving disabled accessibility and sees the organization of the Paralympic Games as a chance to raise awareness and to develop standards for people living with disabilities across Russia. Accordingly, Sochi 2014 has taken significant steps to ensure that all Olympic facilities for the Winter Olympics 2014 will be aligned to the needs of people with disabilities.

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