Paris is a city full of historical heritage, which often implies difficult or limited access for people with disabilities. The city is making a visible effort to adapt, and thereby offer greater accessibility to its treasures… thanks to notable improvements in a variety of installations open to the public, such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, transport, museums and different leisure venues.
Since 1997, the French Secretary of State for Tourism has been taking steps to raise awareness and mobilize representatives of the tourist industry in order to improve the integration of people with disabilities into the world of tourism.
In 2001, an intensive campaign of identification has been undertaken on a national level, with reference to 4 main categories of disability: physical, mental, visual and hearing. The “Tourisme & Handicap” label aims to provide accurate information for clients with specific needs, regarding the accessibility of holiday and leisure venues.
In addition to this label, there is a set of regulations in France dating from 1978, outlining the measures to be taken to ensure that new facilities open to the public are accessible to people with limited mobility.
The "Tourisme & Handicap" label
The “Tourisme & Handicaps” association, in existence since 28 February 2001, aims to heighten the awareness of tourism professionals to the needs of people with disabilities within holiday and leisure venues, and to implement and manage the measures favouring policies that contribute to the provision of these facilities.
The “Tourisme & Handicap” label has been created for use nationwide: its role being to provide a reliable, detailed and objective source of information, both concerning the accessibility of tourist sites and facilities, taking into account 4 categories of disability: hearing, visual, mental and physical, and also to develop a range of tourism products that are adapted and integrated into the general range of tourism services, in particular accommodation, restaurants, cultural sites (museums, monuments, etc.) and leisure facilities.
The Ile-de-France region is also taking part in this initiative and the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau is helping to promote sites awarded this label.
For more information on sites in Paris with this label and on regulations, click here
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Paris is a city full of historical heritage, which often implies difficult or limited access for people with disabilities. The city is making a visible effort to adapt, and thereby offer greater accessibility to its treasures… thanks to notable improvements in a variety of installations open to the public, such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, transport, museums and different leisure venues.
The “Tourisme & Handicaps” association, in existence since 28 February 2001, aims to heighten the awareness of tourism professionals to the needs of people with disabilities within holiday and leisure venues, and to implement and manage the measures favouring policies that contribute to the provision of these facilities.
