You only had to look at the tumultuous reception that this week greeted its youngest heroine to see what an amazing feat the Paralympics have achieved.
Tiny Ellie Simmonds, the 13-year-old who tore up the swimming pool in Beijing to win two gold medals, pulled up at her school in a limousine to thunderous applause. Classmates ran to stoop and shower her with hugs and kisses. They looked like they were about to burst with pride for the tiny girl who has done such gigantic things.
Ellie was born with the medical condition achondroplasia, or dwarfism. Not many years ago, she would probably have been picked on by so-called "normal" children and given low expectations by society and the educational system.
The Paralympics have enabled people with disability to reach out and achieve their goals and prove to everyone that they are just as good – and in many cases, miles better – as the able-bodied.
But being able to watch the athletes' inspirational courage and determination on TV as they strove for excellence, personal bests, medals, taught us all an invaluable lesson in accepting disability and not lowering our expectations of those who live with them.
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