International Paralympic Committee (IPC) PRESIDENT PRAISES ACCESSIBILITY IMPROVEMENTS MADE BY CITY OF PARIS

 

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/