France, which has for a long time been criticised for its lack of accessibility measures for disabled people, presented a ten-point action plan ahead of 2024’s Paris Olympics to boost public infrastructure for those with impairments and access needs.

Read the original French story here.

Each year, France presents a disability action plan providing guidelines and objectives to achieve a more inclusive society for the coming year at the Interministerial Committee on Disability (CIH).

This year, however, all eyes are on preparation for the upcoming Olympics, which will take place between 26 July and 11 August 2024 and are expected to be attended by 350,000 people with disabilities or different access needs.

“The Olympic and Paralympic Games must be a catalyst for improving the daily lives of people with disabilities,” Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said on Wednesday (20 September) during the presentation of the roadmap.

Borne, alongside other ministers, including Solidarity Minister Aurore Bergé, Transport Minister Clément Beaune, Disability Minister Fadila Khattabi and Education Minister Gabriel Attal, laid out ten “concrete” and “achievable” measures.

The Prime Minister announced the signing of a deal with public transport operator RATP, French railways SNCF and Paris Airports ADP to improve accessibility in public transport by the summer of 2024.

For instance, the action plan includes the development of audio and visual systems on the metro for the sensory impaired, better quality assistance services for the disabled and a system of shuttles specially designed for wheelchair-bound spectators.

Another measure is seeking shopkeepers in cities hosting events, who will be able to apply for support to make their shops accessible. The budget for 2024 is €100 million, the Prime Minister’s Office added.

The government is also looking to introduce 1,000 taxis that can accommodate people with reduced mobility.

“Worrying” situation in France

The prime minister’s office’s promise of a “more favourable reception for the disabled” is a considerable challenge given that in mid-April, France was criticised by the Council of Europe for violating the rights of people with disabilities.

The Council highlighted “the lack of support services and the inaccessibility of buildings, facilities and public transport [which] lead many families to live in precarious conditions and thus amount to a lack of protection of the family”, the Council of Europe’s European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) said in a notice.

ECSR also noted that France compromises the freedom and dignity of persons with disabilities, citing difficulties in access to employment, housing and education.

A week after the notice, French President Emmanuel Macron presided over the 6th National Disability Conference (CNH) at the Élysée Palace to present the government’s policy for improving access to rights for people with disabilities. The president was expected to answer ECSR’s criticism.

“The government was aware of the Council of Europe’s report yet provided no response during the preparations for the conference. The associations and families of disabled people are very angry,” Marie-Jeanne Richard, President of Unafam, which represents people with mental health problems, told AFP at the time.

However, this was not the first time that France had been called to account for its public policies on disability: in September 2021, the UN also called France to account in a 20-page report.

The experts judged the French situation to be “worrying” and called on the country to review its legislation and rapidly adopt more inclusive measures.

“The legacy of the Games will be a lasting tangible and intangible legacy,” Borne said on Wednesday – though how much distance it will make up in the gap remains to be seen.

Source: Euractiv.com