Is taking disability into account one of the big winners of the Paris Olympic Games? No doubt the legacy of the Olympic Games had something to do with the entry into force on 1 January of the European Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.er December, of a reform decreeing that wheelchairs will be fully covered by Social Security, with no remaining costs. And while improvements had been made to the transport of visitors and disabled athletes in the run-up to the event, these are still being implemented.
Last year, leading Parisian taxi operator G7 tripled its accessible fleet. This was just twenty years after the launch of its G7 Access service, with vehicles fitted with access ramps. From now on, a new customer experience will be offered to people with visible or invisible disabilities. With customer profiles that take into account the specific needs of each person, so that the vehicle and driver can be specially adapted to their constraints.
Whether on the G7 Taxi app, via the company's website or on the phone with a call centre agent, the aim of this new feature is to propose the most suitable offer according to the passenger's profile and to anticipate his or her needs. Whether they have a visual, motor or hearing disability, or a speech impediment, passengers will be able to select several options simultaneously, such as a visual disability and a guide dog.
In addition, to make it easier for people with reduced mobility to place orders, the G7 TAXI application for the general public has been enhanced with a new "Accessibility" section, bringing together the three new service levels in the G7 Access offer. In addition to the existing G7 Access Rampe range, which includes more than 550 vans fitted with access ramps, there is the G7 Access Standard level, for low-floor vehicles that make it easier to get on board, and G7 Access Coffre+, again low-floor vehicles, but estate-type vehicles with a large boot that can accommodate a folding wheelchair.
By integrating the customer's disability into their profile - for example, indicating that they use a folding wheelchair - the application will be able to recommend the G7 Access Rampe and G7 Access Coffre+ offers by default. In addition, if the customer so wishes, the G7 application can automatically send a text message to a friend or family member so that they can follow the taxi's journey in real time.
" G7 goes one step further to guarantee every passenger a tailor-made taxi experience "G7's CEO Armand Joseph-Oudin thanked the associations and customers who had worked with the company to develop this new offer. These include the Handiamo agency and the French Paralympic and Sports Committee (CPSF). " The Paralympic Committee was pleased to contribute to the design of this inclusive scheme, which meets the needs of all users, regardless of their disability, whether motor or mental, thanks to feedback from its athletes who, through the diversity of their specific needs, were able to co-construct a range of services adapted to as many people as possible. "said Habd-Eddine Sebiane, a wheelchair footballer and CPSF project manager.
With more than 7.5 million people over the age of 15 living with a disability, Marie-Odile Vincent, a G7 customer, welcomes this new range of personalised digital services, which will enable her to envisage "a world of opportunities for people with disabilities". go where I want, when I want, whatever my constraints ". This desire for mobility open to all is not limited to taxis, but also extends to trains and public transport. With this in mind, Transilien SNCF Voyageurs has had its "Cap'Handéo Services de mobilité" certification renewed for a further five years.
All the train and RER lines operated by Transilien on behalf of Île-de-France Mobilités have been certified on the basis of their accessibility features, its Accès Plus Transilien support service, staff training and the Andilien application. The new digital service is aimed not just at PRMs, but at all passengers who may have difficulty getting around, including pregnant women, people with temporary difficulties, parents with pushchairs and senior citizens.
In addition to a more intuitive interface and a modernised design, the Andilien app offers a number of practical new features, including a list of stations accessible with and without assistance, real-time information on the state of operation of lifts and escalators, and a calculation of the best route to the train. Disabled passengers will also be able to request immediate assistance free of charge at stations, without having to book in advance.
As with the development of the G7 app, this new version of the Andilien app has been co-developed with associations for people with reduced mobility, and has been enhanced with features that people with reduced mobility have been waiting for, such as an immersive 360° view of certain stations and the highlighting of stations that are usually frequented.
