This Wednesday, August 28, 2024, marks the opening of the Paralympic Games Paris 2024, which will continue through September 8, 2024. As noted in a previous issue of this Bulletin, the Games will feature more than 20 sports, including two geared specifically for athletes who are blind or have low vision, goalball and blind football. For fans who are visually impaired, audio description will be available on all Paralympics live coverage. (This feature was available during the Olympic Games as well.) In Paris, an estimated 280,000 visitors are expected to be attending the games in person. Organizers have introduced “a few innovative services that will also mark a few firsts for the Paralympics.” Those attending events in person who are blind or have low vision will be able to “follow the action” with Touch2See, a tactile tablet offering a “live-action, immersive experience.” Audio descriptions will be offered through headsets, as well as low vision headsets to zoom in on the action. The audio description service will also be available through the Olympics app, so that those attending can listen through their own smartphones and headsets, with live commentary in English and French. Learn more about television coverage in the Xfinity piece on the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 — Audio Description and Closed Captioning. For additional details about the live events and their impact on the French city, read the lonely planet article covering How the upcoming Paralympics are driving accessibility in Paris.
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