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“The announcement by Ile-de-France region is a clear example of how Change Starts with Sport, and how hosting the Paralympic Games triggers significant changes that will benefit millions of people for generations to come.”
That’s International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons (BRA) on Tuesday, reacting to the comment by Ile-de-France regional President Valerie Pecresse that accessibility to the region’s vast Metro system is needed:
“This project, ‘A metro for all’, could become the great project of the decade with the accessibility of the historic metro.”
It would be an enormous effort, with Pecresse saying that the project would take 20 years and cost from €15-20 billion, or about $16.8 to $22.4 billion U.S. She added:
“My proposal is on the table and my hand is extended … I am ready, and I have said so … to complete this financing plan by making three equal parts, one regional part, one State part, one City of Paris part.”
For Parsons, this is the true value of the Paralympic Games, benefitting those with disabilities:
“Hosting the Paralympic Games has put discussions about the accessibility of the metro high on the news agenda and it is wonderful to hear Il-de-France make this visionary announcement.
“The key now is to bring all the parties together to make this vision a reality.
“With every city that hosts the Paralympics, we see the step-changes made in thinking and planning for the Games, ultimately leading to long-term attitudinal shifts.
“An accessible metro system for Paris would be the greatest Paralympic Games legacy that Paris could deliver to their own people, and people across the world that love to visit this iconic city.”
And Parsons commended Paris and the region for coming as far as they have in accessibility:
“It is incredible to see how far Paris has come over the past seven years, making the city more accessible in preparation for the Paralympics.
“Paris now has a public bus system that is 100 percent accessible and during the Games there will also be an accessible taxi fleet for people with disabilities.
“Paris also has one of the most well-connected train networks in the world, however metro station accessibility has been a constant challenge for people with disabilities to navigate due to heritage stations with stairs.
“Upgrading the metro so it is accessible to all will transform how people with disabilities experience Paris and create a blueprint for other European cities to follow suit.”
Parsons has made the point that the Paralympic project serves not just the athletes who compete in the Paralympic Games, but the wider, worldwide community with disabilities, who need support far away from fields of play and in their everyday lives, as with the Paris Metro.
If the Metro project in Paris is indeed undertaken, it will be another victory for the International Paralympic Committee, achieved before its opening ceremony in Paris on Wednesday.
~ Rich Perelman
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