Is it time to drop the word disabled? Sarah Storey has just won her 17th gold medal. She is now the most successful Paralympian in Britain. What's happening?
Is it time to drop the word disabled? Sarah Storey has just won her 17th gold medal. She is now the most successful Paralympian in Britain.
It was the moment everyone had been waiting for. Sarah Storey was about to finish her last race in the ParalympicsAn international sports competition for athletes with disabilities. .
As she crossed the finish line, she celebrated. She had just won her 17th Paralympic gold medal.
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Sarah Storey is not just a cyclist. She started out as a swimmer. When she was 14, she won six medals at the 1992 Paralympics in Barcelona.
Sarah's hand did not grow properly when she was in the womb. Growing up, she was bullied by her classmates. Other girls talked about her behind her back.
Still, she carried on. By the time she was 19, she had five gold medals.
But in 2005 she had a problem with her ears. She had to give up swimming. Instead, she started cycling. Soon she was taking part in big competitions.
Some people think Sarah is proof that we should not call people disabled. They say it is a negative word.
Is it time to stop using it?
Some say
Yes! The way we talk about people changes how we think about them. Calling somebody disabled focuses on what they cannot do. Instead, we should think about everything they can do.
Others think
No! Doing this would ignore all the pain and difficulty that disabled people have to face. It is better to show what they have to deal with. The Paralympics is a good way to do this.
Keywords
Paralympics - An international sports competition for athletes with disabilities.
Sarah Storey smashes an incredible record
Glossary
Paralympics - An international sports competition for athletes with disabilities.