Why is Paris so inaccessible?

Meet Parisian woman Virginie Dubost. In 2018, she became a quadriplegic after a surfing accident.

Now, she is an accessibility advocate and has made headlines in Paris for drawing attention to accessibility issues in the city.

She joined us in the Square Santiago-du-Chili in the 7th arrondissement to talk about Paris, its low level of accessibility, and how it can be improved.

The Earful Tower podcast episode

Listen below or wherever you get your podcasts. Scroll down for a look at some of the show’s talking points.

What does it mean to be an accessibility activist?

Viriginie aims to “increase awareness about about accessibility, disability and to show that when you are in a wheelchair it is not the end of your life and you can still do a lot of things like travel, have friends, dance and do sports”

Here’s the viral video she featured in, which we talked about in the show (4 million hits on Instagram!)

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Are there accessible parts of Paris?

There have been a lot of improvements in museums for all different types of disabilities, Virginie says. But by in large, Paris is not yet an accessible city; only the metro line 14 is fully equipped, elevators tend to be broken and hilly neighbourhoods like Montmartre can be almost impossible to navigate in a wheelchair.

Virginie said that whenever she is visiting a new bar or restaurant with friends she has to call in advance to make sure that the space and bathrooms are accessible.

She points out that there are simple things people can do to be more mindful of people with accessibility issues. Three main examples: watch where you’re walking, be considerate when parking vehicles of all sizes, and clean up after your pets on the sidewalks.

Can Paris host the Olympics and Paralympics accessibly?

It is clear that Paris still has significant progress to make in terms of city-wide accessibility. However, Virginie believes that the upcoming Olympic Games will leave a lasting legacy, raising awareness and underscoring the importance of improving accessibility in the future.

What’s the best Paralympic sport to watch?

Virginie considers Paralympians to be even more impressive than Olympians because they have had to overcome significant challenges to reach their level of athletic skill. She recommended the basketball.

We already have our tickets! Interested? See if tickets are still available here.

This week’s Earful Tower podcast episode

Below, again, is the podcast episode with Virginie Dubost. Enjoy! And if you like what you hear, please consider becoming a Patreon member on the link below.