Is the welcome given to visitors with disabilities at the Olympic and Paralympic Games up to your expectations?
Annette Masson - Fortunately, some things have changed. But many issues have been delayed, particularly for economic reasons. Time should have been given to time. Some things could have been launched several years agoParis' bid was successful in 2017. Since 2019, we've been nipping at the Organising Committee's heels, urging them to get things moving, not only for the athletes, who will certainly be very well looked after, but also for the visitors. This has led to some disappointment on certain points.
However, a great deal of progress has been made in the run-up to the Olympic Games.
A. M. - Tourism operators have realised that this clientele could be of interest to them, that it was a good opportunity for them. a niche like any other. Efforts have been made, but they have not quite lived up to expectations. For example, it was only last year that hotels started to realise that they needed to get started. But work doesn't just happen overnight. I think they got their act together a little too late.
Are you thinking of the Accor group, which has just announced that its hotels have been awarded the "Tourism and Disability" label?
A. M. - Accor has announced that 80 hotels have been awarded the "Tourism and Disability" label and that a total of 380 have taken the necessary steps. It should have been done two or three years ago. However, it has to be said that Accor is becoming a good pupil in this respect. The group's senior management is putting pressure on to speed things up. For example, Accor has designed a very fine e-learning course on welcoming PRM travellers, given by employees with disabilities, rather than actors as is often the case. It's very well done, but again, it was only offered last December. I'm not sure that their thousands of employees have all had time to learn about it.
Although things are taking time to fall into place, are you optimistic that these advances will continue after the Olympics?
A. M. - Things are being done. We will have to take up our pilgrim's staff to continue to improve the things that need to be improved and capitalise on this event. I've noticed, for example, the enthusiasm with locations applying for certification "The Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and Les Folies Bergères are all 'Tourism and Disability' sites. Of course, especially for the Eiffel Tower, it won't happen straight away. But assessments have already been made, and a roadmap has been defined. We're going to be right behind them to make sure they follow it.
Accessibility of public transport is obviously a major issue for disabled passengers. Have you seen any improvements in this area too?
A. M. - Le metro remains a black spotBut a lot has been done elsewhere. Paris buses, for example, are all accessible. However, these efforts can be undermined by cars that park alongside pavements and prevent buses from letting wheelchair users out. How can these incivilities be limited? This is one of the problems to be solved. Similarly, lifts have been installed in many stations, which is perfect. On the downside, I'll take a recent example from Asnières station, where a lift had just broken down, the only one on the platform. The verdict: it is due to be repaired five days later. Progress has been made, but if behind that there is no maintenance, no reactivity for an emergency intervention, that's a problem... I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this doesn't happen during the Games.
How do you see the assistance services set up in stations and airports?
A. M. - On the whole, they work relatively well. However, as far as stations are concerned, passengers have to be there well in advance, at least 30 minutes before departure, and then they are "parked". is the feeling they have - in a room, without being able to have a coffee or buy something to eat. Passengers who are also afraid of not being taken to the train on time or of being forgotten on arrival. There's still room for improvement here.
ADP stresses that travellers accredited to the Paralympic Games will be entitled to the systematic provision of their personal wheelchair to and from the aircraft's gangway. Before this service was extended to everyone. Do you see this as a positive development?
A. M. - Yes, that's fine too. But it still has to be undamaged. That's one of the problems with air transport: many chairs arrive in poor conditionAnd we never know whether the problem occurred on departure or arrival. And you never know whether the problem occurred on departure or on arrival. Everyone blames each other. So how do you get them back in good condition? Let me take the example of the animal crates. Why not find a similar solution for armchairs, based on a universal model? I'm often told that all the companies would have to agree first. This is a recurring issue, on which there is no joint action on the part of airline and airport associations.
