“Reality is not pretty”. Patrice Tripoteau, deputy director general of APF France handicap, thus described, in an interview with Le Monde on April 5, the situation in terms of accessibility for people with disabilities.
To be exact, his remarks began with ” For now “, suggesting a possible improvement. In this case, this improvement is essential if France wants to be at the rendezvous of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Between July 26 and September 8, 2024, it will be necessary to be able to accommodate 350,000 people with disabilities (4,000 to 5,000 in wheelchairs every day during the Olympics alone). Under the eyes of the whole world, there will be no question of any hiccups. The image of the country will be at stake.
Organizers and public authorities repeat over and over again that these Games will be “inclusive and accessible”, but France is starting from afar. In particular Paris and the neighboring municipalities, where the competitions will be concentrated. Transport is not sufficiently adapted, with in particular an almost inaccessible metro. The number of accessible hotel rooms is insufficient (3,450 in Greater Paris).
With the Games serving as a spur, changes are nonetheless underway. For transport, among others. “Thanks to the Games, we are accelerating”, assured, at the start of the year, Jérôme Renotte, SNCF’s “Mr. Accessibility”, citing the accessibility of the sixty stations of the Transilien network concerned by the Games. That of the metro and RER lines is also continuing: nineteen new stations will be accessible between the end of 2022 and mid-2024.
However, the government recognizes that this will not make it possible to absorb the expected flow of wheelchair users. This is why adapted shuttles will be set up between Paris stations and the sites and licenses issued to 800 adapted taxis (there are 200 today).
“Get the accelerator”
Will all of this be enough to make it to the Games? “We need to accelerate,” warned in February Marie-Amélie Le Fur, the president of the French Paralympic and Sports Committee. In recent days, Pascale Ribes, the president of APF France handicap, for her part said she fears “a dark scenario”. The government has just this week launched a group of“user experts for the universal accessibility of the Games” in order to “test and improve transport and hospitality solutions” for the disabled.
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