Final countdown to Paralympics

The eyes of the world return to London Wednesday as the final countdown to the 2012 Paralympics begins.  The Paralympic Flame will complete its 24-hour relay through landmarks including Abbey Road, London Zoo and Tower Bridge on its way to the opening ceremony, the organisers said.  Tonight's spectacular at the Olympic Stadium is called "Enlightenment" and will feature a host of deaf and disabled artists, local children and performers newly trained in circus skills, they added.  Many details have been kept under wraps, but Bradley Hemmings, who has been responsible for its organisation alongside fellow artistic director Jenny Sealey, promised it would be "both spectacular and deeply human".  The show, signalling the start of 11 days of competition by nearly 4,300 athletes from 166 countries, will be opened by a flypast by Aerobility, a charity that trains disabled people to become pilots.  The cast also includes past Paralympians and injured soldiers. More than 3, 000 adult volunteers are taking part in the ceremony, along with more than 100 children and a professional cast of 100.  With huge demand for tickets, the Paralympics are, like the Olympics, expected to be one of the most successful Games ever.  Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said they will change attitudes towards disability around the world.  More than 2.4 million tickets have been sold already, half a million of those to overseas visitors.  Ten thousand tickets will be available each day during the event and the Games are on course to be the first Paralympics to sell out.  London 2012 chief executive Paul Deighton said, "We've tried to get as many people in as we reasonably can. This is a wonderful illustration of how the British public have said we love the Paralympics and want to be part of it." Meanwhile, Six out of 10 disabled people and their families believe the Paralympics can improve attitudes towards disability, according to a new survey today. The charity "Scope", which commissioned the research, said the Paralympics present a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to change the perception of disability. The study also showed that 67 percent of the general public will watch the Games. The figure was 48 percent when a similar poll was conducted before the Olympics.  Disabled people and their families said greater visibility was key to improving attitudes.  Three-in-four (76 percent) believe a greater presence in day-to-day life would make a difference, while 87 percent claimed more disabled people in the media would have a positive effect on perspectives.  Richard Hawkes, chief executive of Scope, said: "The Paralympic Games are a once in a lifetime opportunity to change the way society views disability." At a time when disabled people feel public attitudes have got worse, it is clear that they have high expectations for the Games.  Disabled people say they can change attitudes for the better. "But for the Games to have an impact the general public has to engage.  "We were really pleased to discover that more than two-thirds are going to watch the Paralympics".