Participants included professional artists and many people who were new to the arts scene, such as soldiers undergoing rehabilitation and non-competing disabled athletes.

The programme was funded by Arts Council England,[8] and was part of the Enlightenment section, performing on a 35-metre high platform above the stadium floor.

"[13] Sealey introduced Stephen Hawking as the "most famous disabled person alive" who will narrate "the most exquisite journey," focusing on science and culture of the 18th century.

Sealey said that although the ceremony has Hawking and Ian McKellen narrating, "what we all need to remember: don't just look down at your feet, look at the stars, be curious.

Stephen Hawking then appeared on the Moon stage and talked about science and reason, which was followed with the "big bang" taking place with people holding umbrellas.

Queen Elizabeth II and Sir Philip Craven entered the stadium, after they were seated the Union Flag was raised and the national anthem of the United Kingdom was played.

Corporal of the Horse Brophy – The Household Cavalry Mounted Division; Lance Corporal Steane – Nijmegen Company, Grenadier Guards; Warrant Officer Vaughan – RM Poole; Chief Petty Officer Appleton – HMS Raleigh; Leading Hand Campbell – HMS Coniston; Warrant Officer Grundy – RAF Cranwell; Sergeant Hyde – RAF Valley; Lance Corporal O'Mahoney – The Household Cavalry Mounted Division; marched the flag to the flag pole under the leadership of Flight Lieutenant Marsden – RAF Halton.

[10][16] After the parade Denise Leigh, who is blind and was the winner of Channel 4's Operatunity, sung Wallen's new piece "Spirit in Motion."

Craven then paid tribute to Sir Ludwig Guttmann and the people who helped him in 1948 to create the first sparks of the Paralympic movement.

Craven stated that he was delighted to be joined by the President of the International Olympic Committee Jacques Rogge and his wife Anne in the stadium.

Craven said that Britain had an insatiable appetite for sport and that London 2012 had done a tremendous job in making everyone feel like it was their Games, and spoke of his pride of the mascot, Mandeville, being hand-crafted by a retired steel worker from his home town of Bolton.

Craven then thanked all the international sport federations who held qualifying competitions and welcomed a record 164 National Paralympic committees.

Craven "with honour and great pleasure" asked Queen Elizabeth II to officially open the Games.

[3] Once the Games were declared open, the Paralympic flag was carried into the Stadium by eight members of the Great Britain Under 22 Wheelchair Basketball team: Billy Bridge, Harry Brown, Emmanuel Filson, James MacSorley, Philip Pratt, Richard Sargent, Gregg Warburton and Joseph Williams.

Birdy sang "Bird Gerhl" as the sway pole dancers signed the lyrics and David Toole did a contemporary dance.

Miranda and Propero protested as a giant version of Marc Quinn's statue Alison Lapper Pregnant arrived in the middle of the stadium.

[7] Audience viewing figures in the United Kingdom showed that an average of 7.6 million, a 40% share, watched the ceremony.

However, White also felt that it was also "a little jumbled in its rush to communicate its ideas, maybe; occasionally resembling a giant prog rock gig, for sure."

White also praised the ceremony's use of "The Tempest" as an overlying theme, believing that Miranda's "O wonder" speech was "beautifully apt" in the context of what fans would expect to see during the Paralympics, and that her flight upwards into a glass ceiling was the most symbolic moment of the entire ceremony—since he believed that Paralympic athletes would also be "smashing ceilings" throughout the Games.

[20] Writing in the Independent Jerome Taylor notes that the ceremony was more structured and the music more classical than the Olympic equivalent "but it was still infused with simmering political radicalism and social commentary."

[21] While Charles Perrin in the Daily Express states that after the Olympics the opening ceremony of the Paralympics "won the hearts and minds of the public with a truly memorable show."

"[22] Charlotte Higgins of The Guardian also enjoyed the ceremony, noting that despite the lack of "gleeful anarchy" and lower budget in comparison to its Olympic equivalent, noting that the theme of enlightenment representing both "a hoped-for lifting of prejudice against disabled people; and the 18th-century onrush of scientific knowledge and quest for the rights of man", along with its embodiment through the use of Stephen Hawking were "brilliant strokes" by the directors.

In conclusion, Higgins remarked that concluding that "the ceremony seemed to suggest, the only barrier to disabled people's fulfilling their potential was one of perception.

"[23] Fellow Guardian writer Owen Gibson was also positive towards the opening ceremony, stated that the creators had finally "found" dramatic use for the Olympic Park's Orbit sculpture."

"[24] Francis Ryan writing for the same paper notes that "it was a seismic beginning for an opening ceremony that seemed smaller than its Olympic counterpart one month ago.

Concluding Ryan notes that Miranda smashing the ceiling was fiction but "in a sense in the real world had made a crack.

"[25] Whilst Richard Williams proclaimed that the nation suffered a petite mort at the end of the Olympics took its opportunity to come back to life.

[26] Anthony Faiola, writing for The Washington Post noted that "the expensive theatrics and brilliant pyrotechnics Wednesday underscored just how far the event has come," from the Games beginning in 1948.

[29] Channel 4, the official broadcaster of the Paralympics in the United Kingdom, faced criticism throughout the opening ceremony for its coverage; viewers complained about the quality of Jon Snow's commentary; such as bringing up too many facts pertaining to war during the parade of nations.

Channel 4 responded to the criticism, saying that they had taken fewer breaks than normal for a primetime programme, and were pleased at Snow was part of the team.