"The greatest Paralympic Games ever.” These were the words Sir Philip Craven, Head of the International Paralympic Committee, chose for his speech at the Paralympic Closing Ceremony. Sincere and fitting, they reflect the many achievements of London’s 2012 games. From sporting success – Paralympics GB took 120 medals, 34 of which were gold – to enthusiastic crowds and a supportive public, everyone involved in organising London 2012 should be immensely proud of a job well done.

But the work is not over yet: the promise of a legacy was a vital aspect of London’s bid for the 2012 Games and it is one that has received frenzied media speculation over the last few weeks. The point of the Games was always to “inspire a generation”. The organisers of London 2012 clearly intended not only to showcase the best of Britain or encourage tourism, but also to create the foundation for a future more attentive to sport.

Amidst our sadness that we are at the end of an incredible sporting summer, there is anticipation to see how the Paralympic legacy will take shape – whether it will meet the expectations of the public or cave under the pressure of media hype. London 2012 has generated an amazing amount of exposure for disabled athletes. Unprecedented levels of media coverage and record ticket sales – 2.7 million compared to Beijing’s 1.8 million – have both massively increased public awareness of the sporting opportunities available for disabled people. The success of the British Paralympic team was significant in contributing to this. By placing third in the medals table and beating the 103 medal target set by UK Sport, Paralympics GB has secured £49.2 million of funding for Rio 2016.

International inspiration has been significant for the UK: Oscar Pistorius – ambassador of an international sporting development programme that has already helped 12 million children – has played an important role in raising the profile of Paralympic sport, particularly after his outburst at Oliviera, which generated a much-reported debate about the blade lengths of Paralympic athletes. Back home, the Disability Legacy Project is already working with sports clubs in the five London host boroughs to improve facilities for disability sport.

The Closing Ceremony was also instrumental in changing our cultural perception of what disabled people can do. It featured numerous disabled performers in the Candoco Dance Company and the British Paraorchestra, showcasing the non-sporting dimension of disabled talent.

With all that has been done so far, the success of the Games and British plans for the future, the solidity of the Paralympic legacy seems a sure bet. Though interest levels did not reach those of the Olympics (the Olympic Opening Ceremony recorded 26.9 million viewers compared to the Paralympic’s 11.2 million), London 2012 has put Paralympic sport on the map.

Tom Hollingsworth, Head of the BPA says: “I am convinced we will never go back to a time where there is disinterest in Paralympic sport.” Nonetheless, with NBC’s failure to show any live action from the Paralympics and government plans to cut disability benefits, only time will tell for sure whether we are right to be hopeful.