Original Alps Trip Changed Public Perceptions of Disability but We Still Have Miles to Go says Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, ahead of 2011 Alps Challenge.
Wednesday, May 18th, 2011
Dame Tanni at a Disabled Motoring UK event
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is a lady who knows a thing or two about public perception. One of the most successful athletes in UK history, Tanni has won a total of 16 Paralympic medals, including 11 golds, held over 30 World Records, and won the London Marathon six times. An impressive haul which has seen Tanni decorated by the Queen and yet she is still asked why she doesn’t have handles on her wheelchair so that she can be pushed.
“People don’t understand I don’t need pushing and still equate disability with what you cannot do” she explains. It is this Tanni says which makes the 2011 Disabled Motoring UK Alps Challenge so important. “We have to change public perception in a positive way. Denny* did that in 1947 by crossing the Alps in his mobility trike. The hope is we can do it again now.”
Advances in public perception, aided in part by Denny’s original trip and in technology have made the 2011 Alps Challenge a slightly less daunting undertaking, which according to Tanni should only heighten our respect for what Denny did all those years ago.
“It is easy to forget what a massive deal Denny’s trip was. In 1947 there was very little understanding of disability and he was venturing into a foreign country, just two years after it had been ravaged by World War 2 with no support, no mobile phone, nothing. This was a time when disabled people were left on the fringes of society, mostly they didn’t even have jobs and yet here was Denny crossing the Swiss Alps and pushing back the boundaries of what was deemed possible.” Tanni says, before continuing “sadly however, as the continued abuse of disabled parking bays shows, there still exists a lack of respect and understanding in some quarters. We have come a long way in 64 years, but it could and should be much better.”
The hope is that, 64 years on from Denny’s original trip, and using the same mobility trike, the team from Disabled Motoring UK, which will include Tanni, alongside children’s TV presenter, racing driver Nicholas Hamilton and fellow Paralympian Ade Adepitan and members of the UK Armed Forces who have been injured in combat, can once again change the public perception of disability.
Press Notes:
In the build-up to the start of the Alps Challenge and on a daily basis during the trip, we will be supplying interviews with notable members of the team, progress updates and photo opportunities.
The press are invited to join us at any point before or during the trip, please contact Andrew Lawn on the details below to make arrangements. In particular it is encouraged that members of the press attend the following events:
- Thursday 2nd June 2011 – Headquarters send-off – Ashwellthorpe, Norfolk
- Saturday 4th June 2011 – Official start line – Greenwich, London
- Thursday 16th June 2011 – Finish line and reception at the Houses of Parliament – London.
For more information please contact: Andrew Lawn
The Lively Crew Ltd
Tel: 08456 345 185
Email: andrew@thelivelycrew.co.uk
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Tags: Alps, alpschallenge
I would like to wish all those members who are taking part in the ‘Alps Challenge’ good luck, and I will be thinking of you all, and look forward to reading about your adventures in future issues of DMUK Magazine.
Good Luck.
Peter Wilson
Ooh, interesting. Found you from the BBC News website.
Is there a route map available?
All the best, Chris.
Chris, there is route map http://tiny.cc/alpschallenge