Editing 1996 Summer Paralympics (section)

== Look of the Games ==
The visual concept for this edition was called "The Ascending Flame" and was based at the logo called "StarFire" released in 1992 and was developed by the local design office Copeland Design who had created all the visual concepts for the city's bid for the Olympic Games. The office took advantage of its already being public knowledge that the two events would be held separately. A totally different corporate identity was created. It was from common sense that this would be the biggest edition of the Paralympic Games so far in everything,<ref>{{cite web|title=Designing '96|publisher=Atlanta History Center|date=July 14, 2020|url=https://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/blog/designing-96/|access-date=2022-05-06}}</ref> and that echoed in the logo which is similar to the logo of the Olympic Games bid. The chosen graphic should be connected with the constant expansion and recent recognition of the Paralympic Movement around the world. And also had to be remembered with the fact that the Paralympics "was ceasing to be a second class event and now they are enter into a mainstream visibility". The highest feature at the concept of "The Ascending Flame" is a special feature of the city as one of main logistics hubs in the world due their strategic location between the south and southeast of the United States. This prominence was enhanced when the [[Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport]] has become one of the main airports in the world and led to the city's first period of rapid development. Another recurring idea was that this issue could serve as the "light of inspiration" for the issue of basic rights for people with disabilities around the world in a parallel with what [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] did with the [[civil rights movement]]. Another association could be held with the city's nickname of "The Phoenix City" because the resilience of its population made it several times completely destroyed to be reborn by the effort and bravery of its population in a parallel with the life story of each participating athlete and the last connection would be in a direct relation with the Paralympic flame, that this time was born from a spark of the eternal flame that burns at [[Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site|King Center]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Designing '96|publisher=Atlanta History Center|date=July 14, 2020|url=https://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/blog/designing-96/|access-date=2022-05-06}}</ref>

According to a survey carried out by the [[Atlanta History Center]], there are few recorded materials about the development of this project. However, Copeland Design was also responsible for creating the visual identity. In these documents, the so-called concept of "The Ascendent Flame" is explained and associated with the Games slogan that was "The Triumph of the Human Spirit" along the mascot that was the phoenix Blaze.<ref>{{cite web|title=1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games Standards Manual|publisher=Atlanta History Center|date=July 14, 2021|url=https://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/app/uploads/2020/11/Paralympic_GraphicStandardManual_Optmized.pdf|access-date=2022-05-06}}</ref>