Paris Paralympics 2024
As Paris takes a breath after an astonishing fortnight at the Olympic Games, 4,400 exceptional athletes are settling in to compete in 549 medal events across 22 sports in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, between 28 August and 8 September.
Paris 2024 is continuing its ambition to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games closer together. The Olympic and Paralympic medals, designed by French jeweller Chaumet, share one side with the same design: the side encrusted with the Eiffel Tower iron. The other side of the Paralympic medals feature a graphic representation of the Eiffel Tower, viewed from below. To allow athletes to distinguish their medals by touch, the gold, silver, and bronze medals have distinct engravings and include braille.
Plus the Paralympic Agitos symbol has been on display almost 50m high up, on the iconic Arc de Triomphe since June, the first time it has been displayed in a host city before the end of the Olympics. The three waves are suspended in preparation for 12 days of incredible sporting events and physical feats by the world’s most elite and determined athletes.
In the run up to the Paris Olympics we explored the impact of the mammoth event, including on air travel. Here, we look at the logistical challenges and opportunities presented by the Paralympic Games, both in the air and in the host city, and explore the solutions for inclusive travel.
Air travel
Before the Games, Air France – partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games - declared that it was expecting to carry 35% of Paralympic athletes to the French capital. In preparation for both Games, the airline recruited more than 2,000 additional staff in 2023, including 500 pilots and 400 mechanics on permanent contracts, as well as 1,000 additional cabin crew and ground staff on seasonal contracts.
To ensure all passengers are looked after, Air France also hired more staff for its SAPHIR programme, which is the airline’s travel assistance service, set up in 2001, to facilitate travel for passengers with disabilities and reduced mobility.
One reason for the higher staffing demand is to facilitate smoother travel out of the city after the close of the event. Athletes and their teams will be able to check in their luggage directly at Paralympic Village the day before travel and will use a dedicated route to and at the airport. The same arrangement was made after the Olympics.
Another piece of the logistical puzzle for airlines transporting athletes and their teams is the volume of baggage and oversized baggage required. Air France estimates that athletes will travel with an average of four items of luggage each, including one oversized, and that on peak travel days the demand for oversized items will be ten times higher than usual. Such items might include kayaks, competition bikes or athletic poles, and Paralympic athletes travelling with wheelchairs are expected to travel with an average of two wheelchairs each.
On the ground
Once in Paris, for tourists and athletes with a disability travelling around the city, the Tourist Office Paris je T’aime has provided practical advice for the Games. To help create a positive experience for the Games and beyond.
The hospitality scene on the Seine has been improving the accessibility of its services. The French government operates a ‘Tourisme & Handicap’ certification for all hotels and leisure facilities which covers auditory, cognitive, physical and visual disabilities. In preparation for the Games, French hotel group Accor, for example, has been encouraging more than half of its 380 hotels through this certification.
The hotel group has also been rolling out Smart Rooms with new openings and refurbishments, with features including high or low wardrobes and adjustable beds, curtains and wash basins, and sliding doors to bathrooms. Other services include audio tools to guide visually impaired guests to their rooms. The group has been distributing remote controls to visually impaired athletes and travellers during Paris 2024, which can be used to voice activate terminals in hotels and at pedestrian crossings.
Inclusive flying
The Paralympic Games are an opportunity to bring inclusive air travel to the top of the agenda, throw the limelight on available services and highlight areas for improvement.
To ensure fair access to travel, similar to many other countries including the EU and US, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), states that any passenger with a disability or reduced mobility has a legal right to free ‘Special Assistance’ when travelling by air. Support if requested can be provided from the moment the passenger arrives at the airport and cover every stage of the journey, including boarding and disembarking from the aircraft, during the flight and with transportation through airport terminals.
Different airlines across the globe have varying service offerings, so checking before travelling is always recommended, as well as finding out about resources that may be helpful. For example, the Aira Explorer app provides on-demand, personalised assistance for passengers who are blind or have visual impairments.
For disabilities that may not be immediately apparent, the hidden disabilities sunflower scheme, through which passengers wear a sunflower lanyard, which lets airport and airline staff know that they may need additional support during their journey.
STG’s lighting products are designed with all passengers in mind, including the positioning and intensity of lighting solutions. Our photoluminescent signage range can be used to enhance cabin accessibility by being embossed with Braille characters, the symbolic language of accessibility and a reference to its French inventor, Louis Braille. Our photoluminescent products can also be used for highlighting areas in a cabin that may require extra caution (such as low bins or corners of a monument) (1). Having a simple and subtle visual que subliminally influences passenger behaviours creating an more enjoyable cabin experience for all. Our products also work to highlight touchpoints in the cabin such as socket surrounds (6) and door handles (3) enabling passengers to easily find features of the aircraft in daylight and darkness.
The legacy of Paris 2024
The Paralympic Games have a long history, with roots back to 1948 and first took place in Rome in 1960, when 400 athletes from 23 countries competed. They have evolved and grown ever since, with over two billion viewers watching events during the Tokyo Games in 2021.
Whilst airlines, transport networks, hotels and other leisure organisations continue to work towards greater accessibility, we hope that the Paralympic Games will act as a catalyst for improvements to all services and facilities, especially in the aviation industry, and an opportunity to have open conversations with our customers about how we can create an unparalleled flying experience for all.