Report 4: Interim Evaluation
F.6Influencing attitudes towards disabled people
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- (i)Legacy programmes and initiatives
- (ii)Evidence available: Outputs expenditure
- (iii)Conclusions: Outcomes and additionality
- (iv)Progress in answering the research questions
F.6Influencing attitudes towards disabled peopleThe Government legacy plan sets out the intention to use the Games to influence attitudes towards and perceptions of disabled people, through encouraging comprehensive media coverage of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, promoting inclusion and disability equality to ensure Games-related opportunities are available to all, engaging children and young people to improve understanding of disability, and encouraging disabled people to participate in community activity and social action. The available evidence shows some improvement in attitudes towards disability in recent years, with a number of measures on the British Social Attitudes Survey improving over the period 2005 to 2009.132 However, the Games provide a significant opportunity to generate media coverage which provides positive messages about disabled people, which would not have been possible on an equivalent scale otherwise. It is hoped that this will generate a significant change in public attitudes and perceptions. The Paralympic Games provides a focal point for these efforts therefore the full impact of this sub-theme is only likely to be realised following the Games. The following logic model sets out the expected theory of change for this sub-theme.
Further work has also been undertaken, for example in April 2012 DCMS hosted a disability sports summit which aimed to consider how to make the most of the Paralympics opportunity and also give disabled people an opportunity to share their views and explore the value that sport brings to their lives. In addition, the Office for Disability Issues (ODI) has worked in a range of ways to support improved attitudes towards disabled people, with target audiences including Government departments, businesses and the general public. In September 2012, the Government published two documents and announced the setting up of a new disability action alliance as part of the next steps of a cross-government disability strategy.136 The documents summarise the issues raised by disabled people and the actions the Government is taking to address them and sets out the Government’s vision and principles and further public sector reforms. The disability action alliance will carry forward ideas proposed by disabled people, helping shape and deliver the outcomes they want, and the Government will join with disability organisations, as well as private sector and public sector, to start to change attitudes and create inclusive communities around the country. The ODI has worked with Channel 4, and other Olympic sponsors and hopes to continue this work, post-Games, with an emphasis on awareness and attitude change. Press coverage during Games time saw the Minister for Disabled People raising awareness about disability. ODI worked with the BPA to produce a media guide for sports journalists to encourage reporting on the Paralympics. The ODI also worked with the London Business Network, ran an event during Games time, and also launched a guide for businesses on how to become more accessible. There has also been an emphasis on disability within the cultural programmes, for example the Unlimited programme was intended to play a major role in challenging perceptions of disability by showcasing the world class talents of the UK disability arts movement, and also expanding even further the opportunities for direct engagement with arts and culture for disabled people. Accentuate, the Legacy Trust UK programme for the South East of England, also promoted the skills and talents of disabled people and worked with organisations in the region to improve access for disabled people.
5-Star Disability Sports Challenge is a groundbreaking programme focused on educating young people about disability, disability sports and the Paralympic Games. The project aims to highlight and promote the benefits of disability sport to the public in Northern Ireland, to transform commonly held negative attitudes and perceptions about disabled people, and to inspire and encourage more disabled and non-disabled primary school children to become more active in sport. The programme involves engaging pupils from Primary 1 to 7 through an awareness-raising presentation designed to be both educational and fun. The presentation is delivered by at least one elite disabled athlete. The presentation is followed by the older children taking part in a practical session of challenges involving a circuit of five activities with each based on a Paralympic sport. By January 2012, 5-Star had reached over 20,000 children from over 200 schools across Northern Ireland. Overwhelming positive feedback has been received from both the children and teachers involved. It has been showcased in the UK's Disability Action Plan and is also being shared internationally through International Inspire. Source: www.london2012.com/about-us/inspire/inspire-projects-across-uk/northern-ireland/ (ii)Evidence available: Outputs & expenditureIn the build up to the Games, Channel 4 prepared a range of programmes, including 'That Paralympic Show' which showcased disabled athletes and disabled sports, and reached 5.4 million people overall.137 A series of film shorts, supported by Sainsbury's and BT reached a total of 15.4 million people. In addition, a documentary series called 'Best of British' followed Paralympic athletes in their sporting and private lives as they aimed to be selected for the 2012 London Paralympic Games.138 Channel 4 also promoted positive attitudes towards disabled people through a commitment that 50% of on-screen talent for Paralympic broadcasts would be disabled people. "Channel 4 has today unveiled a groundbreaking line-up of presenters and reporters featuring top sports broadcasters, former Paralympians and new disabled talent for its coverage of the London 2012 Paralympic Games in August. In line with the channel's vision on winning the broadcast rights to the Games, 50% of the presenters and reporters in the line-up will be disabled." (February 2012)139
Peak time live coverage of the Games on Channel 4 was fronted by TV presenter and former Paralympic wheelchair basketball medalist Ade Adepitan alongside the well-known sports broadcaster Clare Balding. Seven individuals were selected through Channel 4's search for disabled talent in 2010 which used rigorous application, selection and training procedure to select candidates. The seven included Irish presenter Daráine Mulvihill and former Royal Marine Arthur Williams working in the studio and new reporters on location including former Paralympic swimmer Rachael Latham, sports reporter and wheelchair basketball player Jordan Jarrett-Bryan, former carpenter Martin Dougan, researcher Liam Holt and sports journalist Alex Brooker. Additional reporters included former Paralympic middle-distance runner Danny Crates, and former Paralympic swimmer Giles Long. Early evidence of the impact of Channel 4's efforts to meet its commitments regarding disability was provided by an Ipsos MORI survey which showed that Channel 4 was the channel to which the largest proportion of people believed the following statement most applied: 'Shows the viewpoints of disabled people' (14% compared with 10% for BBC One, 7% BBC Two, 3% ITV and 2% Channel Five).141 Qualitative and quantitative research will be undertaken in-house post-Games to help Channel 4 to ascertain the effect the level of coverage and investment in disabled talent has had on viewers' perceptions of disabled people. In addition, viewing figures for Paralympic broadcasts will also be available. The media content analysis to be undertaken as part of the Cultural Olympiad evaluation will also capture wider evidence concerning perceptions of and attitudes towards disability. The BPA reported that the media guide produced for sports journalists in conjunction with the ODI received very positive feedback and attracted greater take up than anticipated; 200 copies were originally distributed and there was demand for a further 200 to be sent out, plus further copies were downloaded online. This successful initiative would not have happened without the Games.
Data on activity and outputs reveals some success in terms of engagement but information on outcomes is limited at this stage. The most recent wave of the evaluation of Get Set provides some insight, revealing that 50% of teachers responding to the survey agreed that there had been a positive change in pupils' attitudes towards disability. The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad took an innovative and unprecedented approach by creating a disability arts programme that is not specific to the Paralympic Games but instead cuts across both Games, thus maximising opportunities to reach out to a broader audience and making this issue more central across both Games. (iv)Progress in answering the research questions
Viewing figures for Channel 4's pre-Games programming point to an interest in learning more about disability and the Paralympics. In addition, programmes such as Get Set have helped to raise awareness of the Paralympics amongst children and young people and half of the participating teachers surveyed believed that involvement in Get Set had helped to generate a positive change in pupil attitudes towards disability. However, at present there is a lack of evidence to assess the impact of these efforts more generally and this question will be better answered in Report 5 when it is anticipated that further evidence will be available.
It is too early to tell how much progress has been made in respect of generating positive perceptions of and pride in the talents of disabled people. However, there were numerous initiatives which aimed to generate a change in perceptions, including a range of programmes produced by Channel 4 and Unlimited, a series of commissions by disabled artists which formed part of the Cultural Olympiad. This issue will be considered again in Report 5 by which time it is anticipated that further evidence will be available. Directory: images -> publications images -> New embedded S images -> Creating Buy-In – Building Relationships images -> Deadline: Saturday, March 12th, 2016 images -> News items from Raising Our Voices images -> Last year four of the best Afrikaans Christian singers joined forces to tour Down Under with the production ‘Manne wat Glo’ images -> World-renowned vocal ensemble sweet honey in the rock images -> Peoples Voice Café History publications -> Recipients of tickets for the olympic opening ceremony publications -> Greetings from the iehp atlantic Connection Steering Committee Download 1.96 Mb. Share with your friends:
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