DN Debate. The Paralympics in Stockholm would provide important role models

In the debate on the OLYMPICS and Paralympics in Stockholm, Sweden in the year 2026, there is a range of views and perceptions. For us that represent people with mobility impairment, visual impairment and intellectual disabilities is an argument greatly overriding everything else: the Paralympics in Stockholm can be a great tool to inspire more physical activity – not least children and young people with disabilities. It would also help to strengthen the Stockholm work in the accessibility and contribute to making the society more accessible for all.

the national institute of public health states that it is more than ten times more likely to have poor health among persons with disabilities than among the rest of the population.

This depends largely on the underlying risk factors for ill – health- such as living conditions and lifestyles, something that with the right will to change.

Continuous training increases the well-being, create a sense of participation and social development. People with disabilities report that they are becoming more mobile, less pain, and can reduce the medication when they started to train regularly. The swedes ' interest in health is greater than ever and a clear expression in our everyday lives. But the group that would most benefit from physical activity – persons with disabilities – is not nearly as active.

A Swedish hosting would mean that the integration between parasporten and the rest of the sport would increase. One such development in the long term lead to the gap between persons with disabilities and the rest of the population.

the Conditions are the same for the group of young people with disabilities, that is to say that they do not play sport to the same extent as other young people. Today play sport more than half of all 7 to 18 year-olds, among young people with disabilities, the figure is less than one-fifth.

We are working daily to improve this, but we need help from the community to succeed. An OLYMPIC and Paralympic games in Stockholm would give us a unique opportunity to reach out in width and show up parasporten for locals. It would at the same time the spread of television broadcasts worldwide and we are convinced that it is possible to implement the games in Stockholm conditions, without arenabyggen and bulging budgets. Together with the Swedish olympic committee we would like to arrange a sustainable winter games, which are both economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.

Yes, it is our belief.

Elitidrottsprestationer symbolizes for many people the ability to succeed with it which seems impossible to achieve. This applies not least to the performance of athletes with disabilities. A Paralympics in Stockholm gives us the opportunity to highlight the parasportens elite that can inspire all the swedes, with or without disabilities, regular physical activity and to achieve high goals. In a Paralympics in Sweden, we have also the possibility to introduce medaljevent for people with intellectual disabilities, something that is missing at the winter Paralympics as it looks today.

Sweden has a tradition of staying ahead of other countries in the efforts to adapt the society, in terms of the needs of persons with disabilities. Sweden was, for example, hosted the first Paralympics in winter sports held in 1976. The tradition is fading. We have a long way to go to the objective of the society shall be available for all, despite the fact that the Swedish legislation obliges to this. Many people with mobility impairment, vision impairment or intellectual disabilities encounter on a daily basis technical barriers in their everyday lives because society is not adapted to their conditions. Furthermore, there are obstacles in the form of bias on the part of fellow human beings that limit their life and affect their health. This is true even when persons with disabilities participate in sport.

Many sports people with disabilities have a lack of access to facilities lack of availability adaptation according to their needs. A tillgänglighetsrapport as Parasport Sweden has done shows for example that over 40 per cent of the Swedish sports facilities lack of disabled toilets.

the Paralympics in Sweden will put the focus on what needs to change. We know that the Paralympics in 2026 in Stockholm, the extension would lead to increased accessibility for all. And when more of them start to play sports so saves public funds in the long term. Even if it is not the main effect, research shows that society saves 330 000 sek per person and year when a person with a disability begins with regular physical activity.

today is parasporten tenth highest among the federations when it comes to commercial investments. The market has understood the attraction that parasportens idrottshjältar possess. Investment to make the community accessible for all needs to be done regardless of the OLYMPICS or Paralympics.

A Swedish hosting would mean that the integration between parasporten and the rest of the sport would increase. One such development in the long term lead to the gap between persons with disabilities and the rest of the population. Work has already begun in connection with the application process. Sweden would be an example, where the Paralympics and the OLYMPICS for such a development on a global level.

the Conditions for arranging a winter OLYMPICS and Paralympics that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable has never been better. The sports movement and the parasporten would be able to benefit from the substantial long-term value and it would strengthen public health, not least for people with disabilities. For Stockholm's part, it is also a huge opportunity to showcase our open, accessible capital of the world.