UK Sport is responsible for athlete performance, sporting events and international development as the organisation is the British Government's lead high performance agency for sport, both for the Olympics and Paralympics and Nicholl has stressed there was a need for organisations to take a step back to constructively asses their strengths and weaknesses.

"There's been a real step up in the Paralympic Movement and we're very proud of what Paralympic organisations in the UK have achieved and the aspirations that they now have to be even better at what they do," said Nicholl to the 200 sports scientists and researchers, classifiers, coaches, trainers and sport administrators assembled in Bonn.

"The most challenged, I would say, have been those with limited capacity and disability specific sports tend to be the most fragile.

"We at UK Sport now have more resources, ambitions and opportunities than ever before and we've learnt an awful lot on this journey and there are very high expectations that successful athletes will inspire the whole nation.

"We know that what we do now and what we don't do now may impact on the opportunities of future talent in the UK, so it's a big responsibility that we take very seriously."

For Nicholl, some sports have already gone a long way, for example boccia, which has established the GB Boccia Federation.

"This new federation leads and drives performance," she said.

"It's got strong leadership that's helping the sport to continue to perform at the highest level."

Nicholl hopes that the London 2012 Paralympic Games will act as a catalyst to change the lives of people with a disability.

"The Paralympic Movement really is on the move and its potential is enormous," she said.

"In the UK we really believe that the Games in 2012 can provide the Paralympic Movement with a significant step up because of the public interest.

"The tickets go on sale in a week's time and I've got no doubt they're going to be a sell-out.

"The media in the UK is right behind this and no doubt there'll be more world-wide coverage."

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