Paralympic Legacies: A Critical Perspective

Defining legacy is a challenging task and it is a contested concept (Cashman 2006; Thornley 2012). Legacy is often viewed as providing positive, intended consequences, but it is also possible for legacy to be negative or unintended (Cashman 2006; Thornley 2012). Paralympic legacy has been a neglected topic of scholarly activity (Misener et al. 2013). For the purpose of this chapter, legacy will be discussed in terms of what Gilbert and Legg (2011a, p. 5) define as being ‘that which is left behind’ from previous Paralympic Games. The chapter will focus upon the evidence for Paralympic legacies, discussing both tangible and intangible legacies from previous Paralympic Games. The utility of the Paralympic Games as part of an empowering movement will then be briefly discussed, followed by a critical review of the legacy themes from the 2004–2016 Summer Paralympic Games.