Queen’s Birthday party highlights disability issues

This year’s celebration of the Queen’s Birthday was an opportunity to highlight the  upcoming London 2012 Olympic Games and in particular the Paralympic Games which will be held in London between 29 August and 9 September 2012.

   
Fortunately the heavy rain and hail that greeted early guests quickly passed and over 150 people were able to enjoy a lovely evening in Lover’s Park.  Music was provided by the international awarding winning Armenian chamber choir,  “Paros” which is mainly made-up of singers with disabilities and we were pleased that a number of Armenia’s Paralympians were able to join us to help celebrate the Queen’s Birthday.  

Talking about the rights of people with disabilities, Ambassador Charles Lonsdale, who was hosting the event for the last time in Armenia, said: “There have been some positive developments and it’s good to see some cooperation with NGOs in this field.  But there is still a lot to do to make a real difference to the everyday lives of people with disabilities.  We know from our own experience in the UK that it takes time both to change attitudes, and to make the changes required to make access possible on equal terms for everyone in society.  But it is important and I would encourage the authorities at the central and local levels to commit themselves to working towards this”.

To help the Paralympic Team in its preparation for London 2012, BMI has generously donated two tickets to London to the Paralympic Team which will enable members of the team to participate in London 2012 paralympic qualifying events.  We hope this will encourage other businesses in Armenia to provide similar support to the Paralympic Team. 

We are proud that the UK has a rich history when it comes to supporting Paralympic Sports and we hope that London 2012 will be the most accessible and inclusive Games ever.