1,000 Days to Go - London 2012 Paralympic Games

"In 1,000 days’ time we will be welcoming the Paralympic Games home and we will deliver a spectacular showcase for Paralympic Sport."

On the occasion of the United Nations (UN) International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) celebrates the 1,000-day marker today in the countdown to the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

The UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities aims to promote an understanding of disability issues, the rights of people with a disability and gains to be derived from the integration of people with disability in every aspect of the political, social, economic and cultural life of their communities. The annual observance provides an opportunity to mobilize action to achieve the goal of full and equal enjoyment of human rights and participation in society by people with a disability, established by the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1982.

3 December marks exactly 1,000 days to go until the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. To mark this, the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has unveiled the Paralympic pictograms, the visual representations of each of the 20 Paralympic sports. In 2012 itself, the Paralympic pictograms will have a “wayfinding” role, helping spectators find venues at Games-time as well as helping to transform London from an Olympic city to a Paralympic city. Over the next 1,000 days the pictograms will also be a vital tool in educating people about Paralympic sports.

In addition, to mark this milestone, a nationwide talent recruitment drive has been launched today by UK Sport, the English Institute of Sport and the British Paralympic Association. A campaign of this size so close to a Games is unprecedented and while it can take athletes up to eight years to reach an Olympic Games, research has shown that potential participants for a Paralympic Games can be ready to compete at an elite level much sooner. People with any form of impairment, who think they might have what it takes to become a Paralympic champion in London in 2012, should register their interest at http://www.uksport.gov.uk/pages/talent_id before 11 January 2010.

To celebrate the day, British Airways pilots will be welcoming customers to London with an on-board announcement while flying over the Olympic Park. The airline, which has created bespoke 1,000 days to go pin badges, has invited Paralympic gold medal-winning athlete Giles Long to deliver a motivational session to its staff on the importance of disability and Paralympians.

Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London 2012 Organizing Committee (LOCOG), said: “In 1,000 days’ time we will be welcoming the Paralympic Games home and we will deliver a spectacular showcase for Paralympic Sport. This is a golden opportunity to raise awareness of Paralympic Sport, challenge stereotypes about disability and secure a legacy which will have every disabled child getting greater access to sport. As the clock counts down to 2012, there is still time to get involved in the Paralympic Games, and still time to become part of the British team.”

Tessa Jowell, Minister for the Olympics and Paralympics, said: “In just one thousand days some of the world’s greatest and most inspirational athletes will be in the UK to celebrate the start of the biggest ever Paralympic Games. This amazing spectacle of sport will not only reinforce the fact that being disabled need not be a barrier to sporting achievement, it is also an opportunity for us all to challenge our perceptions of disabled people and to accelerate change that will transform their lives.”

Boris Johnson, The Mayor of London, said: “This is a major milestone in the history of the Paralympic Movement as London prepares to stage the best ever Paralympics in 2012. I am completely confident that, as we build our team to take on the world, we can surpass the fantastic medal haul achieved in Beijing last year. And it is not too late to be part of ParalympicsGB. Scouting continues across the land for new talent to ensure the team remains a force to be reckoned with at the London Games.”

Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee, said: "We are thrilled to see the 1,000 day point reached on the countdown to the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Already there is a growing group of people getting involved to support the Games coming home to London, and we look forward to that group continuing to find interested individuals ready to be inspired. Together we will make the Paralympics a major success for the entire world to see!"

To mark the milestone, and the fact that the countdown to the start of the Paralympic Games is now underway, LOCOG organized an event at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the home of time, with a group of Paralympians modelling Paralympic pictogram t-shirts, and some Paralympic archers symbolically shooting their arrows across the Meridian Line.

The home pages of london2012.com will be taken over by a “splash page” marking 1,000 days to go, showcasing Paralympic content including the new Paralympic pictograms, and a special video showing how people are already preparing for the Paralympic Games. People will be invited to tell the website in a tweet what they will have achieved in 1,000 days, with a chance of winning a limited-edition Pictogram t-shirt: www.twitter.com/london2012

Other partners and organizations linked to London 2012 will also be celebrating 1,000 days to go. Staff and pupils at Springfields School in Calne, Wiltshire, will be holding a 1,000 days to go assembly to celebrate the fact they are the first Special School to join the London 2012 Get Set network; in Belfast, young people on the 5 Star Disability Sports Challenge will plant 1,000 bulbs in Stormont Gardens to showcase the fact that 1,000 children have been through the scheme to date; Sheffield’s Lighting the Flame a partnership of the English Institute of Sport is hosting taster sessions of Paralympic Sports with ex-Paralympians; in Brighton, Accentuate, the South East’s Legacy Trust programme, is launched, delivering 15 cross-sector projects ensuring disabled people have the potential to be the leaders of tomorrow, in whatever field they choose.

London 2012 partners are firmly behind the Paralympic Games with a range of activities. These include Lloyds TSB, which runs a “Local Heroes” campaign featuring young Paralympic hopefuls; BT is the presenting partner of the Paralympic World Cup; Deloitte has both created www.parasport.org.uk, which enables disabled people to participate in sport, and become the disability sport partner of the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme; adidas are kit suppliers to ParalympicsGB; and British Airways has a partnership with UK Sport which benefits athletes across 20 Paralympic sports.

LOCOG is also the first Organizing Committee to sell broadcast rights to the Paralympic Games with the tender process currently underway. The host Paralympic broadcaster will be a key partner over the next 1,000 days in ensuring we have educated spectators watching at the Paralympic venues and on television in 2012. A decision on the successful bidder is expected early in the new year.

The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad launched “Unlimited” last autumn, which is the UK’s largest ever celebration of arts, disability culture and sport. “Unlimited” Commissions annually fund and enable talented disabled and deaf artists to create exciting, quality new work across all disciplines leading up to and including the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with awards of £25-£50,000 from a £1.5 million commission fund. Applications for 2010 are available for application through the Arts Council England ‘Grants for the Arts’ process until 4 January 2010. Artists can find out more about the application process by visiting www.london2012.com/unlimited.

For more information about London 2012, please visit the official website at www.london2012.com.