Guest guest Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 Wow, this is great. China has finally gotten into the Mid-20th Century. I thought for sure they were still in the 19th Century, but I was wrong. > > Found this article from the CEC Briefs. Infuriating. > > http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2 & objectid=10512670 > > China's guide wins gold for insensitivity > 5:00AM Tuesday May 27, 2008 > > Reuters > Disabled people can be unsocial, stubborn, controlling, defensive and > have a strong sense of inferiority, says an official Beijing Olympics > guide. > > The manual for Olympic volunteers in Beijing is peppered with > patronising comments, noting for example that physically disabled > people are " often " mentally healthy. > > Volunteers at the Olympics and Paralympics are instructed not to call > paralympians or disabled spectators " crippled " or " lame " , even if > they are " just joking " . > > The document, which indicates the Chinese hosts could use a swift > education in political correctness, says the optically > disabled " seldom show strong emotions " . > > Elsewhere it adds: " Volunteers should offer assistance on a basis of > equality and mutual respect ... > > " Disabled people can be defensive and have a strong sense of > inferiority. " > > China's treatment of the disabled has angered Australian swimming > great Dawn Fraser, who says it is one reason she won't be going to > Beijing. > > She said in April that she saw disabled athletes spat on in the > streets of Beijing during university games in the mid-1990s. > Volunteers at the Beijing Games are also given instructions on how to > sit, stand, walk and talk properly. > > A handshake should last from three to five seconds, the manual states. > An " appropriate " personal space on social occasions is from 1.2m to > 3.6m, but for work colleagues it is 1.2m to 2.1m and for strangers > 2.1m to 3.6m. > > When sitting, volunteers are told to avoid hooking the chair with one > foot ( " low-class and boorish " ), stretching out their legs ( " rough " ), > crossing the legs in a " 4 " shape ( " cocky and impolite " ) and > continually changing positions ( " underbred " ). > > The Olympics run from August 8 to 24 and the Paralympics from > September 6 to 17. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.