Paralympic organisers today hailed the "seismic effect in shifting public attitudes" to disability sports, claiming the Games have changed public perception forever.
Lord Coe praised the "extraordinary summer of sport", which has made household names of home-grown Paralympians such as swimmer Ellie Simmonds, wheelchair racer David Weir and sprinter Jonnie Peacock.
And he said the Paralympics coverage had helped raise awareness of disability in sport, providing a lasting legacy.
David Weir, marathon medallist, with his son Mason
Reflecting on the Games, Lord Coe said: "We set a goal to create awareness, I really think we have done that in helping converting some of those extraordinary talents into household names.
"I really genuinely think we have had a seismic effect in shifting public attitudes. I don't think people will ever see sport the same way again, I don't think they will ever see disability in the same way again.
"One of the most powerful observations was made to me, by one of our volunteers, who talked about having lifted some of the clouds of limitation."
Lord Coe's comments come as new research shows eight in ten British adults say that Paralympics 2012 has had a positive impact on the way disabled people are viewed by the public.
According to an Ipsos MORI poll, three in four Britons say the Paralympics have had a positive effect on the mood of the British public.
Former Olympian Coe said: "The real challenge is to maintain sustainable and meaningful change.
"I would like to think that by extending the excitement from the Olympic Games into the Paralympic Games and that exhilaration has led to a greater education. I think people will leave understanding a great deal more about the world they are living in."
Lord Coe said "political energy" was also needed to ensure momentum from the Paralympics continued without "four years of wilderness" until the next Games, Rio in 2016.
He added: "There is not an easy 'five weeks to thin thighs' trip here. It is not the six easy steps to freedom. It is going to need political energy, there is no question about that.
Great Britain's Shelly Woods celebrates winning Silver in the Women's Marathon T54 at The Mall, London
"This is the arena of scarce resources and the best arguments tend to win the day. Sport hasn't always made those arguments very well. It has not always been that good at articulating why sport works, the last few weeks has done that very eloquently for all of us.
"I think politicians of all hues realise that this is something that has had a profound impact."
Medal-winning Paralympians have become household names, including swimmer-turned-cyclist Sarah Storey won the host nation's first gold and David Weir the 34th in front of Buckingham Palace on Sunday's final day of competition.
Britain finished eight short of the Beijing total of 42 gold medals, but the hosts blasted through their 103 target to collect 120 medals across 11 days.
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Sarah Storey, who made her Paralympic debut as a 14-year-old swimmer 20 years' ago, took her haul of gold medals to 11, equalling Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson's record for a British female, with two titles on the track and two more on the road at Brands Hatch.
David Weir was competing in arguably the most-competitive field in Paralympic competition, but the T54 wheelchair racer delivered time and again. First he won over 5,000metres, then 1,500m and then two laps of the Olympic Stadium in the 800m, and finally a marathon victory.
Swimmer Ellie Simmonds was depicted in a poster on the side of an office block overlooking the Aquatics Centre and handled the expectation to aplomb, winning double gold to emulate her success of 2008. And all at the age of 17.
Sophie Christiansen, only 24 years old, won triple gold in equestrian at Greenwich.
Jonnie Peacock, a 19-year-old from Cambridgeshire who had his right leg amputated following meningitis aged five and went to a talent identification day after being inspired by Beijing, was triumphant. The amputee sprinter strutted his stuff in one of the most hotly anticipated events of the Games to win the T44 100m title.
But members of Paralympic GB are determined to ensure that a Paralympics legacy means better rights for all disabled people, not just athletes.
Many have attacked Government plans to slash Disability Living Allowance.
Blind Team GB footballer Keryn Seal, 30, who told the Daily Mirror he relies on his £70-a-week allowance to get to training, said: “I find it quite incredible that the Government can go around handing out medals when away from the Games they are taking the DLA away.
“It’s all well and good backing disabled sports at the highest level and looking good for the cameras but what they are doing is going to affect hundreds of thousands of disabled people really badly.
“Some of the reason George Osborne and Theresa May were booed was because of the DLA stuff.”
Experts have estimated that up to 500,000 disabled people could have their allowance entirely withdrawn over the next four years as eligibility criteria is tightened.
Double-amputee Derek Derenalagi who finished 11th in the discus after losing his legs in a bomb attack while serving as a soldier in Afghanistan and partially sighted judo bronze medallist Ben Quilter have also called on the government not to slash disability benefits.
Richard Hawkes, of Scope, said: “The legacy of the Paralympics should be a Britain where we focus on what disabled people can, rather than can’t, do and where we have the support in place so they can achieve their aspirations.
“The Government must grasp this opportunity and re-think cuts to a critical piece of support.
“The moves appear to be motivated by saving money rather than supporting people to live independently.”