It’s like a (long) sprint. With many obstacles to overcome. Between now and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, on July 26, 2024, the public authorities ensure that everything will be done to properly welcome the approximately 350,000 people with disabilities who will come to attend the event, on the 15 million visitors expected in total.
“We won’t be perfect” in the summer of 2024 on this subject of accessibility of transport, accommodation, shops “for people with reduced mobility”, nevertheless wanted to warn, in mid-March, the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron. It must be said that France has come a long way. She was singled out in April by the Council of Europe for not having guaranteed, until now, equal rights to people with disabilities.
However, a week before the second edition of Paralympic Day, which takes place on Sunday October 8, and some three hundred days before the start of the Games, the government has decided to step on the accelerator. The launch of a 1.5 billion euro fund aimed at improving accessibility, announced on July 19 during an Olympic and Paralympic council, was thus confirmed. Above all, a desire was expressed to create momentum as a priority in the cities which will host the Olympic and Paralympic competitions.
In the first quarter of 2024, 430 million euros will be released to carry out transport work, 300 million for public buildings and universities and 500 million for local authorities (of which Paris would a priori be excluded). From November 2, a window will be open to help businesses, bars, cafes, restaurants and hotels, which will be able to share 300 million euros in financing for development and renovation work. Aid (60 million euros) will also be released for digital accessibility and telephony.
Propose turnkey solutions
While at the Ministry of Tourism we say “hope to be a victim of our success” with these measures, they are often considered too late in view of the issues by the opposition. ” It’s not win “agrees Lamia El Aaraje, deputy to the socialist town hall of Paris, responsible for universal accessibility and people with disabilities.
The Parisian elected official remembers the lack of interest generated by the call for projects (with a budget of 100,000 euros) launched by the capital in the fall of 2022 among traders in three so-called accessible districts. increased: “Only four people out of thousands had responded. »
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