Accessibility concerns raised ahead of Paris Paralympics

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games were hailed as a monumental success, with authorities going to great lengths to ensure the safety of all attendees through substantial investments in security. However, as David Rubio Salguero highlights in his article for Inside the Games, this success was overshadowed by a critical oversight: the lack of accessibility for people with mobility challenges. Salguero emphasizes that while venues like the Arena Paris Sud offered an exceptional experience for spectators, the journey to and from these sites proved to be a significant obstacle, particularly for those dependent on the city’s antiquated metro system.

The Paris metro, despite being the busiest in the European Union, remains largely inaccessible to wheelchair users, with only 29 out of 320 stations equipped for people with disabilities. This leaves 291 stations unreachable, an issue recognized years ago but with little progress made since. The head of the Paris regional transport network has even admitted that the city's metro is "almost impossible" for disabled people to navigate.

As the city prepares to host the Paralympic Games, the lack of accessible transportation has become a pressing concern. Salguero mentions that although some measures, like the deployment of minibuses and a smartphone app, have been introduced, these solutions appear to be cost-saving efforts rather than comprehensive fixes. With up to 300,000 visitors expected daily during the Paralympics, many of whom will have disabilities, the inadequacies in the transport system could overshadow the event's success.

(Sources: David Rubio Salguero, Inside the Games)