Andrew
Parsons notes Paris has made more progress in the last seven years than any
other Paralympic host city when it comes to accessibility.
The
International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons has praised
the City of Paris for using the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games to improve
accessibility and inclusion in the French capital.
As a
result of Paris hosting the Paralympic Games, the City of Paris has invested
more than EUR 125 million on a range of initiatives that will make the city
more inclusive not just for its residents, but the millions of visitors each
year.
Projects
implemented by the City of Paris to improve accessibility include:
Developing
17 Enhanced Accessibility Neighbourhoods which ensure a range of accessible
public services within 15 minutes of leaving home;
Overground
transport infrastructure which includes fully accessible bus lines and tramway
system, and the addition of 1,000 accessible taxis;
Adopting
a plan to have at least one accessible school within a 15-minute walk of any
location in the city by 2030;
Increasing
the number of accessible municipal buildings in the city from 45 per cent in
2022 to 95 per cent by the end of 2025;
Increasing
to 10,400 the number of sound modules at road junctions, making it easier for
persons with a vision impairment to negotiate the city.
Andrew
Parsons, IPC President, said: “Hosting the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games has
sparked an inclusion revolution in the city. Today, the city is more accessible
and inclusive than at any point in its rich and illustrious history,
benefitting not just the 185,000 persons with disabilities who live here, but
visitors that come here each year as tourists or for business.
“Making
such a historic and iconic city more accessible is no easy achievement, and
much more work still needs to be done. However, with great vision and
dedication the City of Paris has shown that making improvements is possible,
even in a city as historic as this.
“In terms
of using the Paralympic Games as a catalyst to drive inclusion, each host city
begins its journey from a different starting point.
“When the
city won the right to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2017, Paris was
not in the best place when it came to accessibility.
“However,
from their starting point to where they are now, I think Paris has made more
progress than any other Paralympic host city during the same period which is a
credit to everyone involved.
“This is
not to say they have exceeded previous host cities in terms of accessibility,
but in seven years they made significant steps forward.
“While
challenges still remain in the city, most notably with the Metro system, major
improvements have been made to overground transportation which now make it
easier for all persons with mobility needs to enjoy the city.”
Although
the IPC President was full of praise for the City of Paris’s work, he did
stress that much more needed to be done in the future.
“For the
City of Paris, the improvements made over the last seven years have been
fantastic. They should be regarded however as the starting point of an
accessibility journey, rather than the end, and I hope the great progress we
have seen leading up to the Games continues following the Closing Ceremony on 8
September,” he said.
A driver
for sports participation
In
addition to using the Games to improve accessibility in the capital, the City
of Paris is also making efforts to increase sports participation amongst
persons with disabilities.
More than
EUR 10 million has been invested in improving accessibility at six of the
capital’s sport facilities, creating a new cornerstone for Para sport in the
city.
Amongst
the facilities to benefit from investment are the Georges Vallerey Swimming
Pool which hosted aquatics events at the Olympic Games Paris 1924, and the
Pierre de Coubertin stadium which opened in 1937.
In
partnership with Paris 2024 and the French Paralympic Committee, the City of
Paris has also worked to encourage the development of inclusive sport clubs, so
people with disabilities can more easily find a sport club close to home, with
suitably trained coaches.
Originally
the goal for Club Inclusif was to establish a 40-strong network of Para sport
friendly clubs in the city by 2024. However, such has been its success that 44
clubs have already been trained and form part of the Para sport-friendly club
network.
In May
2023 President Emmanuel Macron announced the nationwide expansion of the
scheme.
Parsons
said: “Not only has the City of Paris made it easier for persons with
disabilities to get around the city they have also increased the number of
sport clubs that are accessible and have trained coaches ready to bring Para
sport to life.
“To make
historic venues in the city such as the Georges Vallerey Swimming Pool, an
Olympic Games venue in 1924, accessible is a tremendous achievement and
highlights how accessibility is possible even in the oldest of buildings.”
“Club
Inclusif has really taken off with City of Paris already exceeding its
pre-Games target of 40 clubs. Such has been the success that the initiative is
now being expanded nationwide by the French government.
“Increasing
Para sport participation brings with it so many benefits, ranging from health
to empowerment of individuals. It’s a sure-fire winner for a more active and
inclusive society.”
Track
record for transforming host cities
Since the
first edition in Rome, Italy, in 1960, the Paralympic Games have developed a
tremendous track record for transforming host cities and countries, advancing
the lives of persons with disabilities and anyone with accessibility needs.
In the
seven years prior to the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, the Chinese government
invested EUR 125 million, making 14,000 facilities across China accessible.
China was also among the first signatories of the UN Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities.
The
London 2012 Paralympic Games led to one in three people in Great Britain
changing their attitudes towards disability. By 2018 one million more persons
with disabilities were in employment in the UK compared to before London 2012.
Although the world’s oldest metro network, 66 London Underground stations,
around a quarter of the network, are now step-free.
According
to research after the Rio 2016 Paralympics, 79 per cent of Brazilians said the
Games improved their perceptions of persons with disabilities. By 2018 the
number of persons with disabilities in employment was 49 per cent higher than
it was in 2009 when Rio won the right to stage the Olympic and Paralympic
Games.
More
recently, the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games functioned as a catalyst to improve
accessibility on the Tokyo Metro. The number of step-free stations increased
from 70 per cent in 2013 to 100 per cent in 2020. The Japanese government
introduced new legislation to ensure 1 per cent of new hotel rooms in Japan
will be accessible, and approved the Universal Design Act 2020, which redoubled
efforts to promote universal design for an inclusive society that is
comfortable and accessible to everyone regardless of age, nationality, and
ability.
“Previously,
we always championed the EUR 125 million spent by the Chinese government on
accessibility projects nationwide ahead of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.
The fact that the City of Paris is spending a similar amount of money shows you
how committed they are to making a difference.
“The
absolute benchmark for how a Paralympic Games can transform a city long-term in
terms of accessibility is Barcelona,” explained the IPC President. “The 1992
Paralympic Games turned an old port city into one of the most accessible cities
in the world. Not all the magnificent work was undertaken before the Games,
much of it has taken place in the years since and continues to this day. For
the City of Paris, the improvements made over the last seven years should be
regarded as the starting point of an accessibility journey rather than the
end.”
The Paris
2024 Paralympic Games take place between 28 August and 8 September. Tickets for
the event start from EUR 15 and can be purchased at: https://tickets.paris2024.org/en/
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