Two years to the day before the 2008 Paralympic
Games lifts its curtain, the Beijing Olympic organizers (BOCOG) are preparing
the whole society for the lesser known Games.
The BOCOG will unveil the mascot(s) on Wednesday which is seen as a good
opportunity for promoting the Paralympic Games by the organizers.
"I hope people can have more knowledge about the Paralympics through these
activities such as unveiling of the mascot(s)," said BOCOG vice president Tang
Xiaoquan. "Everyone knows something about the Beijing Olympics, but for the
Paralympics, many even do not know there is one."
"I suggest media give more coverage of the Paralympics, which should be put
in a position as important as the Olympics," she said. Tang is also the
executive president of the National Paralympic Committee of China.
"I wish the campaign and the Paralympics could raise people's consciousness
of helping disabled ones," she added.
China has 60 million disabled people according to a survey 18 years ago. The
government is going to release the result of the second sample survey for the
disabled by the end of the year, which will make known the current number of
disabled people in China.
The BOCOG has taken a number of methods to promote the Paralympics. They
staged exhibitions of art works by disabled people in June during the Olympic
festival and put up posters promoting the Paralympics.
"To hold a wonderful Paralympics, we still have a long way to go," Tang said.
