Meticulous perfection – accessibility at the 2021 Wheelchair Curling World Championships

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 28 Title: Meticulous and Perfect - Barrier-free services for the 2021 Wheelchair Curling World Championships

Xinhua News Agency reporter Ji Jiadong

As the only sports event for the disabled in the "Meet in Beijing" series of test matches, the 2021 Wheelchair Curling World Championships demonstrated the humanistic care of the host on the issue of how to serve disabled athletes. "The Paralympic Games itself is not just a sporting competition, but more importantly a humanistic symbol, which reflects how a country cares for and helps people with disabilities." Yang Jinkui, director of the Paralympic Department of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, said.

Accessibility services are perfect

Qi Zhiguang, deputy manager of the venue and infrastructure of "Ice Cube", introduced that from the design in March 2018 to the completion of construction in November 2020, the team has upgraded all kinds of entrances and exits outside the venue, elevators, wheelchair ramps, dressing rooms and toilets in accordance with the "Accessibility Guidelines for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games".

In addition to the athletes and referee groups with special ramps, the organizing committee also set up ramps for the media stands to facilitate disabled journalists to participate in the report. Kate Kesnis, president of the World Curling Federation, once said after the inspection that the ramp design in the "Ice Cube" arena is both light and beautiful, showing the Chinese style, so that all athletes have a good experience.

Yang Jinkui introduced a detail: "The baffle next to the ice track is sponge, and if the athlete does not go there (the ice exit), it is also possible to walk from the side. This is also what we mean by accessibility. ”

The venue's barrier-free services also involve barrier-free roads, barrier-free parking spaces, barrier-free entrances and exits, barrier-free elevators, barrier-free ramps, barrier-free toilets, barrier-free dressing rooms, low-level service desks, voice prompt systems, barrier-free identification systems, etc.

"The experience is very good right now for all customer segments." Yang Jinkui said, "All barrier-free services have been perfect. ”

(Subtitle) Accommodation and food are exquisitely detailed in place

A total of 92 people from 12 countries and regions stayed at the China Sports Management Center for the Disabled (hereinafter referred to as the Management Center), where they lived and trained from October 17 until October 31.

According to Xu Hongzhen, director of the Jiuxianqiao Street Office in Chaoyang District, under the concept of athlete-centered competition, in addition to inviting experts to conduct on-site inspections twice, the construction team also personally sat in a wheelchair to conduct various tests.

In terms of catering, whether it is the procurement, storage, or post-retention of samples, virus and doping tests have been carried out for each batch of ingredients for athletes. The management center specially invites senior chefs to take the helm and personalize meals for athletes in need. The management center also specially prepared an alcohol heating pot so that athletes can eat hot and delicious meals at any time.

Taking into account the weather changes, each room is prepared with two beds of futons, electric heaters and toilet mats, and English labels are affixed to domestic washing machines and dryers. In order to take care of athletes with a history of pollen allergies and other previous allergies, the management center deliberately installed an air purifier in the room.

Medical protection is comprehensive and meticulous

The medical team studied the injuries and illnesses of the Winter Olympic Test Games in April, fully understood the big data statistics of the previous Winter Paralympic Games, and formed a medical security plan.

The team in the venue is composed of Beijing Tsinghua Changgeng Hospital, and a total of 39 medical staff are sent, some of whom are double Olympic personnel with rich experience. Considering the particularity of the wheelchair curling program, the team covers members of the emergency department, general medicine, orthopedics, surgery, neurology, rehabilitation, respiratory medicine and cardiovascular medicine to help athletes solve sports injuries, lower limb infections, urinary tract infections and other diseases.

On the other hand, the 999 Emergency Center dispatched a total of 19 people, three ambulances, and was on standby 24 hours a day. Peking University Third Hospital and Beijing Chaoyang Hospital accept injured and sick people inside the ring, and those outside the ring can visit the 306 hospital closest to the venue.

Wu Sheng, medical officer of the venue, introduced that there are four barrier-free principles for medical security work: concept accessibility, information accessibility, hardware facilities accessibility and service accessibility. In order to be conceptually accessible, "the first thing the medical team members did before the game was to experience the accessibility of the venue first-hand. "Even we have to know how the toilets for the disabled are used, whether the doors are opened inward or outward." ”

(Subtitle) Let accessibility reach more people

Speaking of the help of sports for the disabled to the entire cause of the disabled, Yang Jinkui said: "In 2008, we had a big leap forward, especially in Beijing, whether it is public facilities or venue construction has reached certain requirements. For the Winter Paralympic Games, when our organizing committee was established, it issued accessibility guidelines, and the International Paralympic Committee and our national standards were integrated. ”

"For example, normal elevators can be large and small, but the barrier-free elevator should be 1 meter 4 wide and 2 meters 1 deep, which can not only be used by the disabled, but also must meet the needs of the elderly, women, children and even some emergency patients." Yang Jinkui revealed that Beijing is currently carrying out barrier-free renovations at 279,000 points, including public toilets, crosswalks, overpasses and other public facilities, "with considerable intensity."

Yang Jinkui introduced that at the beginning of the establishment of the Winter Olympic Organizing Committee, it stipulated "one post and two responsibilities", requiring the same attitude of responsibility for the Winter Olympic Games and the Winter Paralympic Games. Referees, volunteers, staff, etc. participating in the Winter Olympic Games will continue to participate in the Winter Paralympic Games, and many people will have to work for more than 50 consecutive days, which is a double test for them physically and mentally. "The first half of the interception is not done well, I am afraid that the second half of the interception will be smashed." We require synchronous planning, synchronous implementation, and different operating plans, which is what I mean to achieve equality. We must not only serve this one activity, but also enhance the civilization of the whole society and help the disabled to integrate into the social family. (End)