Editing 1996 Summer Paralympics (section)

==Bidding history==

In an interview with the Atlanta-based Reporters and Newspapers website, Andrew Flaming, the CEO of the Organizing Committee (APOC) and a disability rights attorney, expressed gratitude for the efforts of Alana Shepherd. Shepherd founded the world-renowned [[Shepherd Center]], one of the first hospitals dedicated to rehabilitating victims of [[Cervical vertebrae|cervical spine]] accidents. Until March 1992, it was uncertain whether the 1996 Summer Paralympics would be held in Atlanta, as the event was not part of the original plan and did not include the possibility of being hosted two weeks after the Olympic Games closing ceremonies. Despite the lack of coordination between the two organizing committees, the Paralympics began to be promoted and had already developed a visual identity and international presence.

Concerns arose from various areas, including the disorganization of the Olympic Games' Organizing Committee (AOCOG) and financial issues that threatened planning the games. Between 1990 and 1992, the Shepherd family noticed a lack of interest in hosting the Paralympic Games in Atlanta, with neglect from local authorities, Olympic sponsors, and large international corporations headquartered in the city. This affected the financing and promotion of the 1996 Summer Paralympic Games, which could have led to significant ticket and licensed product sales. Fleming recalled an interview with Shepherd, noting that if Atlanta failed to host the Games, [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]] was considered "Plan B" by the newly formed [[International Paralympic Committee]] (IPC). Fleming also mentioned that the low-budget model used in the [[1984 Summer Olympics]] in [[Los Angeles]] was repeated in Atlanta. In 1984, Los Angeles "forgot" the [[1984 Summer Paralympics|Paralympics]], later dubbed "the last-minute games," which were hosted by [[New York City]] and [[Stoke Mandeville]] in Great Britain. Unlike [[Seoul]], which signed late cooperation agreements for the Paralympics, [[Barcelona]] decided to organize both events under the same committee in 1987. This decision increased pressure on American organizers, as it was the first time in history that the two events were held together.

In 1990, when Atlanta won the rights to host the 1996 Summer Olympics, a group led by Fleming and the Shepherd family matriarch worked hard to create and submit a bid for the Paralympics, a project that took a year and a half to complete. Fleming noted that Olympic organizers were skeptical about hosting the Paralympics half a week after the Olympics and did not want to commit to them. Consequently, achieving the planned budget of nearly $80 million was challenging, as the Paralympics lacked funding and media rights sales.

Fleming recalled a market survey revealing that only 2% of city locals were aware of the Paralympic Games, compared to 4% who knew about the Atlanta Youth Games. As time passed, this situation became public in 1991, causing internal tensions within the Olympic organization. To avoid further damage to their image, the Atlanta Olympic Organizing Committee discreetly donated money and assisted the Paralympic Games in certain areas. Following the situation, Alana Shepherd, co-founder of the Shepherd Center, led a campaign to ensure the 1996 Summer Paralympics were held in Atlanta. After the IPC accepted the bid, she launched an aggressive strategy to involve large companies as sponsors and increase the event's visibility.

Press reports from the time described a drastic situation, with the Paralympic Organizing Committee starting its work in a small basement at the Shepherd Center due to a lack of funds to rent commercial space.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 3, 2019 |title=How Buckhead's Shepherd Center saved the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games |url=https://reporternewspapers.net/2019/08/03/how-buckheads-shepherd-center-saved-the-atlanta-1996-paralympic-games/ |access-date=2022-05-16 |publisher=Reporter Newspapers}}</ref><ref name="Atlanta History Center">{{cite web |date=March 4, 2021 |title=The 10th Paralympic Games and Their Place in Disability History |url=https://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/blog/the-10th-paralympic-games-and-their-place-in-disability-history/ |access-date=2022-05-16 |publisher=Atlanta History Center}}</ref> After sending final documents and proposals to [[Belgium]] in late 1990 and making informal agreements the following year, the Shepherd Center Committee spent 1.5 years developing their proposal, which was officially presented during the [[1992 Winter Paralympics]] in [[Tignes]], [[France]].<ref name="paralympicheritage.org.uk">{{cite web |date=2019 |title=Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Summer Games |url=https://www.paralympicheritage.org.uk/atlanta-1996-paralympic-summer-games |access-date=2022-05-23 |publisher=Stoke Mandeville Paralympic Heritage}}</ref>