2023-08-28 17:23:29
One year before the start of the Paralympic Games in Paris, which will take place from August 28 to September 8, 2024, the organizing committee summoned the press this Monday (28) to present the progress of preparations. Brazilian Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), was present.
With the Champs de Mars and the Eiffel Tower in the background, the event was also attended by the organizing committee, ministers and the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, in addition to the mascots of the 2024 Olympics.
Regarding the main challenges of the event, Parsons says that they have been working on for six years. “Now is the time for details and fine-tuning,” he says. “We learn a lot from the events, tests, the implementation of all the operational planning that was put in place”, he adds. “I think this final moment will make the legacy of the Paralympic Games more than just a sporting event.”
For Parsons, the time is now to leave a legacy of Paris and France as a city and country of accessibility.
Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee, in Paris, 28/08/23. © Patricia Moribe
For the first time, the French capital will also host the Paralympic Games. After the controversy over the high prices of tickets for the Olympics, the organization decided to put on the market tickets with much more affordable prices for Paralympic sports – from € 15 – for horse riding events at the Château de Versailles, athletics at the Stade de France or judo at the Grand Palais.
Internet ticket sales for the Paralympic Games will start on October 9th. 2.8 million entries will be made available. There is also a family pass – two adult tickets entitle you to two children’s tickets for €10 each.
The ambitions of the organizing committee are great, such as encouraging the practice of sports for people with physical disabilities, changing the perspective in relation to these people and, even, improving accessibility.
inaccessible city
The issue of public transport is the great Achilles tendon – Paris is a city that is much criticized for its lack of accessibility.
According to the APF France Handicap association, 350,000 people with disabilities are expected to participate in the Games in 2024. Data from Ile-de-France Mobilités, which manages transport in the Paris region, show that only 9% of the metro is accessible currently wheelchair users.
Studies point out that in the old subway lines – some over 100 years old – there is a risk of collapse if there are renovations to expand corridors or install elevators. In addition, some stations are classified as historic monuments, which also prevents changes in their designs.
The president of the IPC comments that all host cities for the Paralympic Games presented important challenges. In Tokyo, for example, with greater accessibility than Paris, the issue at stake was the population’s perception of people with disabilities. “Here in Paris, the challenge is a very old metro system.” The solution found, explains Parsons, was to invest in surface transport, such as buses and more accessible points, in addition to more taxis.
Parsons guarantees that for the athletes “the whole experience will be completely accessible, from the competition facilities to the village, transport, food, arrivals and departures at the airports”.
He insists that this infrastructure will be an important legacy, beyond just being a sporting event, “that will leave its mark on Paris and France.”
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