The Entanglement of Legacy from London 2012: Paralympic and Olympic Reflections Around the ‘Inspire a Generation’ Aim

The London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics have been celebrated in the media and popular discourse to have been unified around the promotion and delivery of the able-bodied and disability framed sporting events. To date there has been limited evidence and literature substantively considering the term legacy in the context of London 2012, specifically, from the perspective of a disability community. This paper intends to explore the positionality of the researcher and the findings from a doctoral project that has evaluated the policy and legacy from the ‘inspire a generation’ aim at the London 2012 Games. In terms of positionality, the researcher will articulate the rupturing of their own able-bodied centric perspective in conducting a document analysis and semi-structured interviews, in particular, the emergence of a disability discourse in the findings.
 
In terms of findings a disability discourse became prevalent in the two phases of data collection. Firstly, through the documents analysis. Where post London 2012 the documents demonstrate a pattern of change in language around inclusivity and disability. Secondly, through the semi-structured interviews. Where a disability discourse has emerged around the supposed tangible legacy of the ‘inspire a generation’ aim, especially, the perception change and delivery of sport in a disability education setting. This paper will present emerging themes and findings that indicate a tension between: legacy literature, empirical evidence and the discourse around disability and the Paralympics more widely. Implications of this research are twofold. Firstly, methodological in terms of the positionality of the researcher; and secondly, empirical in regards to moving our understanding of London 2012 and the legacy aim ‘inspire a generation’ to include and be challenged by the disability community.