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July 26th, 2024

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Channel 4 Paralympics ad gives two fingers to patronising comments:

Three wheelchair racers on a track; text reads "SHE'S INCREDIBLY FAST FOR SOMEONE IN A WHEELCHAIR." The image promotes the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games with logos from Channel 4.
Image: It's Nice That
In research conducted by Channel 4, they found that 60 per cent of people watch the Paralympics to see athletes overcoming their disability, as opposed to 37 per cent watching for exciting sporting competition. ā€œClearly the idea of a disabled person ā€˜overcomingā€™ their disability is problematic, perpetuating the idea that disability is a problem for the individual to ā€˜get overā€™, rather than the fact that most problems and inequalities associated with disability are caused by society,ā€ says creative director of 4Creative (Channel 4ā€™s in-house creative agency) Lynsey Atkin. Lynsey recognises that while most comments are ā€œwell-intentionedā€, it doesnā€™t mean they arenā€™t misinformed. ā€œThese are world-class athletes, and this is elite level sport,ā€ Lynsey says. ā€œExcellence is excellence, no caveats.ā€