Access &: Have you Harnessed the Winning Spirit of the Olympics? (14th August 2024)
Your fortnightly newsletter bringing you the why and how of accessibility in business.
Access & is your why… It’s great to have a conversation, but I know you’re looking for something more… Access & Actions is your how.
The Untapped Advantage
Standing out…
Games Wide Open. This official slogan for the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games encapsulates the creation of a more accessible and exciting sporting event for everyone.
The Paris 2024 Olympics aims to be ground-breaking in several ways, including the fact it’s the first Olympic and Paralympic Games in history to feature equal numbers of male and female athletes, a significant step towards gender parity in sports.
280,000 disabled people are expected to visit its venues during the summer, but is Paris ready to welcome everyone? We took a look at the good and the bad…
Paris 2024 has designed a package of accessibility “to provide a total and ideal experience for each spectator.”
Robby the robot is there for hospitalised disabled children to interact and experience the Games remotely.
Only one fully wheelchair-accessible Metro line (line 14), with lifts, step-free access and no gaps between the trains and platforms.
Local torchbearer, French TikTok influencer, Arthur Baucheron, said it’s his “dream to take the Metro” in his own city.
In 2023, associations protested against decades of inaction.
Disability activist, Babou Sene, made headlines by physically demonstrating the city's transportation shortcomings.
This inspires an intriguing question; what will be Paris 2024’s lasting legacy for disabled people?
The Heart Of It
Getting to the point…
“The Olympic and Paralympic Games should serve as a catalyst for enhancing the daily lives of people with disabilities.” Élisabeth Borne, French Prime Minister
The Olympic spirit is about striving for excellence and leaving a positive impact, and Paris 2024 intends to leverage the Games to make society more inclusive.
Paris 2024 has shone a spotlight on accessibility. €1.5 billion was pledged last year to improve accessibility across the city’s infrastructure, including promises to reimburse wheelchair purchases in 2024, provide 5x the number of accessible taxis in Paris and an accessible shuttle for the Games.
Paris 2024 also set up the first-ever Olympic legacy-focused investment fund, Impact 2024, aiming to create a lasting positive impact on society through initiatives focused on health, well-being, education, inclusion, equality, and environmental improvement.
To date, €47 million has been distributed to support over 1,100 grassroots projects, demonstrating a commitment to creating a tangible difference in people's lives. One of these is the creation of 3,000 "Para-hosting" clubs, providing accessible sports facilities and opportunities for disabled people.
All of this is good stuff — what remains to be seen is the lasting legacy of the games for disabled people… or how the disabled athletes, presenters and spectators headed to the Paralympics see these promises working in action.
Access is a case of listening first, following through with implementing and maintaining changes, with continual check-ins and re-aligning as needed.
Up To Date?
This month’s top need-to-know news.
The Olympic spirit isn’t over! The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games kicks off at the end of this month (28th August to 8th September). Check out these 50 reasons not to miss the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
UNESCO and the International Paralympic Committee will co-host a high-level conference at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 27 and 28 August 2024. The event will explore the potential of Para sport to drive disability inclusion.
Sir Stephen Timms has been appointed the Minister of State for Social Security and Disability under this Labour government. He’s pledged to ensure “disabled people’s views and voices are at the heart of all we do”.
Sophie Morgan’s Fight To Fly documentary aired on 22 July on Channel 4 and followed 17 passengers going undercover on flights operated by British Airways, Wizz Air and Ryanair. “Shocked viewers were left in tears” but it wasn’t shocking for the many disabled people who have had terrible inaccessible travel experiences.
See you soon for Access & Actions!
Rachael x