In describing disability, language differences challenge even the best intentioned

From PRI's (Public Radio International) The World

The BBC has issued linguistic guidelines for its journalists covering the Paralympic Games.

But the guidelines only include English words — which is a problem for the many programs the BBC puts out in other languages.

According to the new rules, "disabled person" is preferable to "person with disabilities." "Invalid" and "handicapped" are unacceptable. To describe those without a disability, the BBC likes "non-disabled" more than "able-bodied."

The BBC program The Fifth Floor gathered three non-English language journalists to talk about this. Do these reporters translate the approved English terms? Do they use alternative expressions that might be locally acceptable but frowned upon in English? Or do they dream up new terms that make more sense in their languages?

Read more HERE.

London 2012: Audio commentary for Paralympic ceremonies

By Helen Bushby from BBC News UK

Audio commentary for partially sighted and blind people at the Paralympic opening and closing ceremonies will be available for the first time in 2012.

Former Paralympic skier Mike Brace, who is blind, was part of the 2012 Olympic bid team and advised organisers on diversity.

"I've been to 12 Paralympics and this will be the first time I'll know what's happening at the ceremonies," he said.

Read complete article HERE.

Wheelchair tennis star Randy Snow to be inducted to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2012

Snow will be honored posthumously for his remarkable wheelchair tennis career during which he achieved the world No. 1 ranking in singles and doubles and won 22 major titles, as well as for his immense contributions to growing the sport worldwide.

- Snow is the second of the Class of 2012 Inductees to be announced. The remainder of the Class of 2012 will be announced within the month ahead. The Induction Ceremony will be July 14, 2012 in Newport, R.I.

Read more on the U.S. Paralympics website HERE.

Channel 4 plans to put presenters with disabilities in front of the cameras for the 2012 Paralympic games

By Tim Rushby-Smith from guardian.co.uk

I'm blinded by a fierce white light. It's suddenly really hot. My mouth feels like I have just eaten a sand sandwich. Panic wells up inside me, then the disembodied voices start. Words drift in front of my eyes. I can see flames. A cauldron of flames. I feel as if I'm about to go to pieces. Then a distant voice starts to count down, I take a deep breath and I start to speak.

"Good evening and welcome to Stadium Australia here in Sydney for the first day of competition in the 2000 Paralympics. And I can tell you the entire city is still buzzing after last night's fantastic opening ceremony."

The white lights are attached to the ceiling and are also responsible for the heat. The disembodied voice comes from an earpiece, the words are on a teleprompter, the flames are Olympic in nature and make up part of the opening credits playing on a studio monitor. But the dry mouth and the feeling of panic are all mine.

I am sitting in a television studio, metres away from the set where proper TV presenter Manish Bhasin presents the Football League Show every Saturday night. The "show" that I am presenting has been created using old footage to enable producers to have a look at a crop of potential presenters for Channel 4's coverage of the Paralympics.

Read article HERE.