The 100-day countdown starts on Monday for the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Games. Plans so far have been marked by highs and lows in areas concerning security, accessibility and broadcasting, while audience anticipation for the event is stronger.
Just like the Olympic Games, the Opening Ceremony for the Paralympic Games on 28 August will be held in central Paris.
More than 4,000 athletes from 184 countries will soak up the adulation of 65,000 spectators as they move between the Champs Elysées and the Place de la Concorde.
"It will be a spectacle that will showcase the Paralympic athletes and the values that they embody," said theatre director Thomas Jolly, who is set to choreograph the 28 August procession.
Accessibility concerns
Olympic and Paralympic organisers as well as transport chiefs, have been working hard to ensure everything runs smoothly, including accessibility for disabled attendees coming to the Games' venues.
Last week, Ile de France Mobilités (IDFM), which oversees public transport in and around the French capital, announced the completion of the revamp of Saint-Denis station some 10km north of Paris city centre.
The four-year refurbishment cost nearly 200 million euros and came as part of a master plan – drawn up in 2009 and amended in 2015 – to upgrade services for passengers with reduced mobility across the region's transit network.
"Providing everyone with easier access to transport means reducing the social divide and reducing inequalities," said the IDFM website while citing that four out of 10 people are temporarily or permanently disabled in the Île-de-France region.
Though the station is a 20-minute walk from the two Olympic and Paralympic venues at the Stade de France and Aquatics Centre transport chiefs say they hope it will ease the burden on the other rail. and metro stations around Saint Denis.
With more than one million spectators expected at 22 sites around Paris, IDFM has also set up a reservation-only shuttle service for wheelchair users.
The Paralympic Games – which last until 8 September – will give French leaders the chance to show off improvements after the European Committee of Social Rights ruled last year that their policies and attitudes complicated daily life for people with disabilities.
Broadcasting records
Organisers say the Paralympic Games in Paris will be the first to offer live coverage for all of its 22 sports.
At Tokyo 2020, 19 sports were broadcast, while at Rio in 2016, 15 were shown live. Paris will also break a record by hosting TV and radio crews from 160 countries.
John Lisko, managing director of global media rights at the International Paralympic Committee, said that an improvement in athletic performances has led to greater interest from viewers and broadcasters.
According to Nielsen, which gathers audience metrics, interest in the Paralympic Games has more than doubled in the last eight years.
"This marks an important step towards our goal of taking the visibility of Para sport and Para athletes to another level," said Tony Estanguet, who heads the Paris 2024 organising committee.
