Volunteering, disability and the London 2012 Paralympic Games

Volunteering, Disability and the

London 2012 Paralympic Games

Ellie May

[email protected]



Introduction

Aim: to highlight people with disabilities experiences of

volunteering at the London 2012 Paralympic Games

Structure

• Issues framing the research

• Research context

• Preliminary findings

• Conclusion



Issues framing the research

“…negative stereotypes such as being

regarded as a dependent person, an object of

charity, an object of ridicule or pity”

“…people with disabilities seen as helpless

victims.”

“Disabled people were clearly not viewed as

those who are themselves involved

in volunteering and campaigning.”



Issues framing the research

…ensure that disabled people

are fully included in the volunteer

programme

“…ensure that disabled people are fully included in the volunteer

programme” “Accessible and inclusive

Games”

“…disabled people will make up 5% of the 70,000 volunteers”


London 2012 Paralympic Games Issues framing the research

Despite the importance of volunteers in staging

sports events, volunteers with disabilities are

invisible from studies researching sport event

volunteering.


London 2012 Paralympic Games Research Context

• London 2012 Paralympic Games

• 23,000 volunteers

• Longitudinal qualitative semi-

structured interviews with

volunteers

– Before (25 interviews)

– During (16 interviews)

– After (25 interviews)

– 12 months after (23 interviews)

• 15 volunteers completed all four

interviews



Preliminary findings

Mackenzie Freya Jina

Volunteered at Olympics and Paralympics

Volunteered at Olympics and Paralympics

Volunteered at Paralympics

Sports statistician at tennis/wheelchair Tennis

Event services at basketball/wheelchair

basketball

Print distribution

Amputee Autoimmune Disorder Visual impairment



Preliminary findings

1. Unproblematic journey to being

a volunteer

2. An inequitable volunteer

experience

3. A disempowered Gamesmaker



Theme 1 : An unproblematic journey to

becoming a Gamesmaker (volunteer)

“…having workbooks and things transcribed into accessible formats

that’s the only thing really and just making adaptations which is blue

badge parking you know around the UDAC facilities and my

mobilisation co-ordinator from the Technology team has been amazing

and helpful as well” (Jina)

“So on the application you know they did ask me about my disability

and I did make a note of it that I am disabled and I listed that it’s a

below the knee disability and it affects me in this way”

(Mackenzie)



Theme 2 : An inequitable volunteer experience

“He went we’ll put you here and he basically put me on a chair in a

corridor with a door behind me so basically on my own for ten hours. I

thought I can’t sit here like this…I really, really hated that really badly”

(Freya)

“There was a bus that finishes at Eton Manor so you could catch it if you

have mobility problems…I checked with the driver to make sure it goes

past Eton Manor and he said no we’ve stopped going there. I called the

number for workforce and said look you know I’m stranded, I need

some transport to get to Eton Manor…by the time I get there I’m late for

my shift. You would think transport would be accessible.”

(Mackenzie)



Theme 3 : A disempowered Gamesmaker

“I can do a ten hour shift. I just need to know that if I need to sit down, I

can sit down without having to continually ask somebody…I’ve said it

about twenty times and you’re making me feel like I’m being awkward

and I was getting upset about it…are you really going to make me go up

to somebody everyday and say I’m disabled?” (Freya)

“Well, for future shifts now is what I have to do, I have to call the

workforce people here and literally 20 minutes before I am due to be

somewhere tell them oh yeah I’m 20 minutes away can you send a

buggy for me and they’ll send somebody” (Mackenzie)



Conclusion

• Volunteers faced problems in carrying out their volunteer

role.

• Replicate the issues faced by people with disabilities in

society more broadly.

However…

• Once these issues had been resolved volunteers with

disabilities did enjoy their experience at the London 2012

Paralympic Games.



References

Department for Culture Media and Sport (2010). London 2012: A Legacy for Disabled

People. Setting New Standards, Changing Perceptions. London, DCMS.

Office for Disability Studies (2011). London 2012: A Legacy for Disabled People. London,

Office for Disability Studies.

Patterson, I. and Pegg, S. (2009) Serious Leisure and People with Intellectual Disabilities:

Benefits and Opportunities. Leisure Studies, 28(4), pp.387-402.

Roker, D., Player, K. and Coleman, J. (1998) Challenging the Image: The Involvement of

Young People with Disabilities in Volunteering and Campaigning. Disability & Society,

13(5), pp.725-741.

Volunteering, disability and the London 2012 Paralympic Games

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