[Houseboy]

The Paralympians were phenomenal!! Nothing can take away from their amazing achievements. However the question is continually being posed now about whether or not this will change people's views of the disabled.
I think not!
Why should it? Have the achievements of the Olympics made anyone change their attitudes to the able-bodied? The thing is that the paralympians are an extremely special breed, just as their able-bodied counterparts are. Just because someone with no legs can run faster than me (a truly wonderful achievement) doesn't mean that I or anyone else will look any differently open an "ordinary" disabled person. The mind just doesn't work like that. People who achieve greatness (in whatever capacity) are the exception to the rule and that is why we (metaphorically speaking) look up to them.