While still basking in the afterglow of the Beijing Olympics, organizers are quickly making accessible and barrier-free modifications for the Paralympians who are arriving in China.
The Winter Paralympics are set to open amid the long-running pandemic and in the shadow of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. The event for athletes with disabilities starts on Friday and runs until March 13.
The host has just 11 days between the Olympics closing ceremony and the Paralympics opening ceremony, during which it checks and solves any issues with venues and infrastructure.
On Feb. 24 at the main press center, a banner bearing the iconic five-ring Olympic logo was taken down and replaced with one featuring the three Paralympic agitos.
Beijing’s extremely strict “closed-loop” Winter Games bubble means workers who are permitted temporary access for operational purposes to competition and non-competition venues must wear protective gear.
Workers in protective suits amid worries over the coronavirus replace a flag bearing the Olympic rings with one featuring the Paralympic symbol in Beijing on Feb. 24, 2022, ahead of the March 4 start of the Beijing Winter Paralympics. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
During the Feb. 4-20 Olympics, robots helped implement COVID-19 countermeasures, doing everything from delivering dishes, spraying disinfectant on floors and collecting garbage.
Machines were also being used to check people’s temperatures and remind them to wear a mask.
According to Chinese media, at the Yanqing Paralympic Village the height of the tables and chairs in the dining hall has been adjusted since the Olympics to accommodate wheelchair users.
They have also widened aisles by reducing the number of seats from 346 to 212, increased the number of staff to roll out services to help visually impaired guests, and made braille menus available for the blind.
Paralympians are being encouraged to use hand sanitizer stations placed in visible and reachable areas, with a new unit set up in front of the press center cafeteria at the right height for wheelchair users.
“We are trying to create an environment that is not inconvenient for people with disabilities,” a member of the main press center operations team said.
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