The 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games have come to a close after a truly uplifting fortnight. A latent goodness deep in people surfaced everywhere, quelling notions that a roaring economy had somehow turned the average Irish person into a selfish, materialistic individual with little sense of community. Some 30,000 volunteers made a colossal statement on willingness to help others. It would be a lasting gift to Irish society if such volunteerism was to remain so vibrant.
But the Games significance went far beyond this. The host town programme heralded a welcome of such genuine warmth that those who experienced it will never forget it. The Games that followed generated an inestimable amount of goodwill among athletes, their families, national delegations, organisers, volunteers and spectators. What the Games have meant for the participants is seen in their many joyous moments. They provided magnificent lessons on the potentiality of every human being.
It is difficult to capture in a few words the essence of this global event, probably because for participants and observers it was primarily an emotional experience. Some indication, however, may be found in apparently simple things: the bonds between athletes and coaches; outrageous goal-scoring celebrations by five-a-side soccer teams playing in Belfield; the solidarity in host towns and in Dublin and Belfast where communication was often little more than sign language; and newspaper reports that brought tears to the eyes of many readers. There was a celebratory air at every venue: accounts of sports events that read more like moving pieces of poetry - tales of triumph over appalling adversity. At every turn there were glimpses of inspiring humanity.
Games founder Mrs Eunice Kennedy Shriver has saluted Ireland's hosting of the Games and the Government's fulsome support, adding: "They've made them the best in the world, they have done everything right." But she went on to highlight in an Irish Times interview the absence of rights-based disability legislation in Ireland, rejecting any suggestion that lack of funding could justify blatant inequities for those with intellectual disabilities.
The Government's whole-hearted backing for the Games contrasts with its lack of adequate support for athletes in the course of their daily lives. The Taoiseach has signalled his intention to provide legislation for people with learning disabilities while underlining the need for a lasting legacy to emerge from the Games. He, more than most, has responsibility for legislation and the provision of healthcare, education and work opportunities for disabled people. It should be reinforced by a new inclusiveness within Irish society for those with disability, which the Games has promoted, to overcome the shortcomings of the past. His administration can provide a corner- stone. If it doesn't, he will have done his bit to ensure the euphoria of the Special Olympics was short-lived and nothing tangible will live on from a magical, heart-warming time for Ireland.