As I was preparing to embark on my trip to the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, I had
real concerns about how I would navigate through all the logistics in the midst of the COVID-19
pandemic.

As it turns out my concerns were for naught as the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games
organizers demonstrated themselves to be more than capable.

As a member of the media team, not only did I feel that my health and safety was always being
considered, but at the same time I was able to successfully participate and engage the athletes
and members of the support group.

Both the hotel and transportation accommodations were highly organized and dependable.
Knowing that I could rely on these basics, I was then able to focus on telling the story of these
incredible Paralympic athletes.

Having returned from the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games a few months ago, the following
reflects a deeper reflection upon my time in China.

I hope you’ll be able to take a few minutes and turn the pages of my report on the Beijing 2022
Paralympic Winter Games. Not only will you find the very powerful stories of some of these
athletes, you’ll also see some of the infrastructure that speaks to the core values of access and
inclusiveness that have informed my life’s work.

Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games:
Warm Recollections on Accessibility by Sally Swanson, AIA

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SSA was the Accessibility consultant to the IPC ,contributing to this publication, which the IPC believes “will act as a blueprint for future Organising Committees, event hosts, and host cities”.

IPC Accessibility Guide

Read the full story at paralympic.org: IPC provides global reference on accessibility for Olympic and Paralympic organisers

SSA was glad to help the IPC’s mission to “drive social inclusion through Para sport”.

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How has your New Year been so far?

I welcomed mine with a snowy Colorado visit with relatives, and my first full week in my new office.

As driven as the snow, I was particularly inspired by my niece, Amalyah, and the contemporary dance piece that she recently created which drew heavily on the influence by undocumented activists that she has increasingly become aware of.

A video of Amalyah’s dance performance follows. It is helpful, I think, to learn how the dance originated from Amalyah’s perspective:

The concept of this art piece was inspired by the immigrant resistance movement fighting for dignity and respect for all as well as daily forms of resistance to state oppression that I see in my community, Northampton, MA. I was initially inspired by the symbol of the butterfly after watching the documentary “Migration is Beautiful” released by Voice of Art. This short documentary tells the story of undocumented activists in Arizona risking arrest and the role of visual expression in changing the national discourse and in humanizing immigrants. The butterfly has come to represent the natural and beautiful process of migration in the immigrant movement; migration is a part of our human nature and should not, can not, be stopped. The documentary follows Favianne Rodriguez, an artist behind the artistic project “Migration is Beautiful”. Here she explains the importance of this symbol:

“To me, the monarch butterfly represents the dignity and resilience of migrants, and the right that all living beings have to move freely. I believe that we shouldn’t allow our identity to be defined only by our suffering, nor by the actions that others have taken to devalue our families and our labor — rather, let us celebrate our beauty, pride, and resilience in the face of inequality and injustice.”

As a dancer and somebody who learns viscerally, I wanted to represent the butterfly through the body. I drew upon inspiration from the immigrant community in my hometown, Northampton,MA. I take the example of Lucío Perez, a member of our community who has recently taken sanctuary in a local church after his deportation order to Guatemala (a country that he fled after a U.S. backed genocide against the indigenous population). His story, like so many others is one of sacrifice, resistance, and recreation. Through defying the State’s orders Lucio he has redefined nationally recognized borders. In addition, through making his status and case public he has shattered the chains of fear that keep many undocumented people invisible and in the shadows. Relating back to Rodriguez’s words, through embracing his story, Lucio has demonstrated that being undocumented is power, pride, and resilience. He has embodied the beauty of a butterfly.

A note on the music of the video: The song is called “Naci en Alamo” which was originally created for a movie by Tony Gatlif, “Vengo”, depicting Gypsy life in Spain. It is a recreation of the song by Yasmin Levy, an Israeli-Spanish singer of Judeo-Spanish music. I chose this song and specific interpretation because it connects to both my Jewish identity and identity as a student of flamenco dance, an art form deeply influenced by the Gypsies of southern Spain. As well, it broadens the message to an international one.

I myself find Amalyah’s interpretation quite a beautiful expression of her art. She inspires me, as I hope she inspires you.

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I have carried this passion beyond our borders having assisted several countries with securing the rights to the Paralympic games including Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014, Rio 2016, and, most recently, PyeongChang 2018, where I was able to bring full-circle the access work I did on behalf of South Korea more than six years ago when they secured the rights to the games from the International Paralympic Committee.

From a business perspective, while accessibility has been the primary avenue of the firm’s recent growth, I have observed many other architectural firms – sensing opportunity – attempt to compete in this segment.  Among my challenges is not only rising above this competition, but convincing more than a few of my clients that access is not merely a cost to be contained, but a principle to be embraced.  And in the context of an aging and often less ambulatory population, the need for this work only grows.

The stories and information I seek to convey in my blog attempt to put a personal face on the work of the firm and the beliefs I hold dear.  I’ll take this opportunity to thank you, dear reader, for spending a few minutes getting to know me.

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