News September 7 is Independence Day in Brazil and this year the country will have extra reason to celebrate Monday will mark exactly one year until the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games – the first edition of the event to be staged in South America A total of 4,350 athletes from 178 countries will come to the Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvellous City) to thrill and inspire the world, challenging stereotypes and changing perceptions in the process The milestone will be celebrated in Rio de Janeiro with a two-day Paralympic Festival (September 6-7) alongside the iconic Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, with free entry The event will combine top-level sporting action, cultural and educational activities, music, dance and workshops to introduce Paralympic sports to the public Among the highlights will be an unprecedented race between leading para-athletes from different disability classes, seeking to define who is the fastest of them all, and a football match between the visually impaired five-a-side teams of Brazil and Argentina – the best in the world Rio 2016 President Carlos Arthur Nuzman said: “One year from now, at the Maracanã Stadium, we will celebrate the opening of the first Paralympic Games to be staged in South America We are making the final preparations to host the best Paralympic athletes on the planet They will produce unforgettable moments of sporting excellence in Rio and I am certain that all Brazilians will welcome them with the warmth and hospitality that we are famous for around the world ”International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Sir Philip Craven will be in Rio for the milestone and will attend the Paralympic Festival He said the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games are on track to be a record-breaking success – attracting more athletes, countries, spectators and TV viewers than ever before – and will transform Latin America Record television audience“You could not ask for a more vibrant host city,” said Sir Philip, a five-time Paralympian in wheelchair basketball “Brazilians are huge lovers of sport, and at the festival they will get a flavour of the tremendous sporting action they can expect next year “Our aim is to build on the success of London 2012 and Sochi 2014, and so far the signs look extremely good We have more broadcasters than ever before signed up to cover the Games and we are fully confident we will break the four billion cumulative TV audience figure for the first time ”September 7 will also see the start of ticket sales to Brazilian residents, while overseas fans will have to enter into contact with the authorised ticket resellers (ATRs) in their territories Rio 2016 will publish the list of approved ATRs later in September In total, there will be 3 3 million tickets (half a million more than London 2012) for the Paralympic Games, with prices starting at 10 Brazilian reais (US$ 2 60) Click here to see the ticket prices (please note that ATRs may charge a booking fee) Sir Philip added: “The Paralympic Games have developed a strong reputation for being the world’s number one sporting event for driving social change and inclusion The Rio 2016 Games will change how an entire continent views and thinks about disability whilst the event will act as a catalyst to improving accessibility ”This week Rio 2016 released a video showing how attitudes towards people with a disability are already being changed in Rio, thanks to the Paralympic Games The hidden camera film has gone viral on the internet – if you haven’t already seen it, check it out here: