Paris is gearing up for the challenge of the most inclusive Paralympic Games yet

August 28 Paris will open the curtain Paralympic Games and will face the new social challenges of the most important championship for athletes with disabilities in the edition that will have the most female representation in history.

Paris, which has hosted the Olympic Games three times, faces off many changes to accommodate approximately 4,400 athletes with physical, intellectual, visual disabilities and cerebral palsy from 182 countries in their first Paralympic Games.

To guarantee both rights and ease of access to Paris 2024, improvements to metro and train stations and incorporated lifts, ramps and tactile signagein addition to adaptations to sidewalks, parks and public buildings with sound traffic lights and tactile elements.

Although most of the headquarters are pre-existing, they have been adapted to ensure accessibility, with 10,400 sound modules also installed at traffic lights to facilitate the mobility of 1.7 million French visually impaired people, with plans to add another 2,500 before the Games.

The organizing committee emphasized that beyond the Games its commitment will extend these efforts beyond the competition to build a legacy.

“We want to take advantage of the Games to show that sport promotes inclusion in a socially beneficial way”point from the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee.

Record female participation

The International Paralympic Committee (ICC) announced that in this edition the record the participation of female athletes with the participation of 1,983 womenwhich represents 45% and is a huge step towards equality.

In this way, Paris surpassed the previous number of 1,846 women (42%) at Tokyo 2020 and more than doubled the 988 female athletes who competed at Sydney 2000, twenty-four years ago.

Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet assured that “this is a milestone in itself”, as “they will be the first Games in history where there will be gender balance” and predicts that in two years “there will be a number there are as many women as men at the starting line.”

Also, these Games will have a record of international representation, with the participation of 168 delegations, surpassing the previous mark of 164 countries at the London 2012 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Economic and social improvements

Although the Olympic Games have traditionally received a larger allocation of funds, organizers of Paris 2024 said that “an effort has been made to balance the funding.”

Of the 4.38 billion euros allocated to the global budget, approx 1 billion euros is specifically allocated to the Paralympic Games. This amount includes investments in accessible facilities, adapted logistics and a high-impact promotional campaign.

At the societal level, the Paris city council, within the framework of the 2024 Games, is committed to promoting inclusion and respect for people with disabilities.

A series of campaigns such as “Together for Inclusion” or “Sports for Inclusion” sought to encourage the participation of people with disabilities by organizing workshops and educational activities to promote their consciousness.

These initiatives not only aim to improve the quality of life of those facing accessibility barriers, but also leave a lasting impact on Parisian society, whose legacy will last beyond the Games.