Catalogue Number
NMLH.2024.52.2.2
Object Name
booklet
Title
'Your Games Your Guide. An A-Z of information for the 2002 Commonwealth Games'
Place
Manchester
People
Manchester City Council
Events
2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games
Description
A yellow booklet with the title 'Your Games Your Guide. An A-Z of information for the 2002 Commonwealth Games'. The left and bottom edges of the booklet have pictures of athletes competing, and venues where the games would take place.
This guidebook was produced for the 2002 Commonwealth Games which were hosted in Manchester. The guide included information for visitors about the city, the Games, and events that would be put on to celebrate the Games. It also included a brief section on disabled access. The Manchester Commonwealth Games had the most events of any Commonwealth Games in history, featuring 281 events across 17 sports, including disabled competitions in swimming, bowls, table tennis, athletics, and weight lifting. Disabled athletes at the Games were known as 'Elite Athletes with a Disability (EAD)' and the Manchester Games were the first where medals won by disabled athletes were counted in national medal tallies.
This object was donated as part of our Nothing About Us Without Us disabled people's history exhibition. It is an interesting example of the changing language surrounding disability - the guide uses person first language (athletes with a disability) which is still preferred by some, particularly those with intellectual disabilities who feel it centres their humanity. However today, much of the wider disabled activist movement prefers to define as 'disabled people' rather than 'people with a disability', arguing that disabled is a descriptor that cannot and should not be separated from the person, and should be treated similar to nationality or gender. This debate still draws high emotions on both sides, each of which argues that the other isn't appropriate.
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