As the Paralympic events get ready for this summer, Bucks is commemorating its status as the events’ internationally accepted birthplace.
Dr. Ludwig Guttman established the “Stoke Mandeville Games” at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in July 1948, sparking the start of the Paralympic movement. Here, sixteen wounded service members engaged in competition.
Throughout the 1950s, these games persisted, adding new sports and international para-athletes. The first “paralympic games” were the International Stoke Mandeville Games in 1960, which were held immediately following the Olympic Games in Rome.
From June through September, the council is hosting a number of events and exhibits titled “Together we Celebrate.” “Our shared advocacy of diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility” is the topic of these.
This summer’s events include a multi-sensory experience for Deafblind Awareness Week, a poster display, and the debut of Buckinghamshire Archives’ Paralympic collection.
This summer, in Stoke Mandeville, the Paralympic torch will be lit, marking the beginning of the Torch Relay to Paris.
