This is a first in the capital. The City of Paris, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) and the Chamber of Trades and Crafts are organizing this Thursday the Paris Conference on the Accessibility of Commerce and Crafts.
“This key event will bring together traders, craftsmen and experts to discuss concrete means to improve the accessibility of Parisian establishments for people with disabilities,” indicates the municipality in a press release, before recalling that “making shops accessible” is indeed a legal obligation since the law of January 1, 2015.
“While accessibility remains a challenge for many Parisian businesses, these meetings could well mark a turning point,” believes the municipality. This meeting will be an opportunity for professionals to discover the procedures and formalities for complying with standards but also the financial assistance offered to support them in their compliance.
Besides that, a “solutions lab” with 22 stands will also be accessible. There will be exhibited 20 solutions and tools to help with accessibility as well as the City of Paris stand which aims to present to traders areas with increased accessibility and raise awareness about welcoming people with disabilities.
A territorial accessibility fund
“Unfortunately, today, too many establishments open to the public are not up to date with their obligations in terms of welcoming people with reduced mobility, whether for technical or financial reasons,” notes the City with regret. from Paris.
However, solutions are within reach, underlines the municipality. Some professionals may not know it but, to speed up the process of bringing establishments into compliance, a “territorial accessibility fund” has been set up by the State.
Specific to 5th category private establishments (cafes, hotels, restaurants, local shops, banking establishments or even medical practices, etc.), this fund aims to financially support these micro, small or medium-sized businesses and can finance up to 50% of expenses. committed.
Open up to a wider clientele
The objective of the City of Paris is clear: to make accessibility a norm, even “a real standard” in the capital. An ambition that we find in particular in the so-called hyper-accessible neighborhoods, “major legacies of the JOP” according to the deputy (PS) to the mayor of Paris in charge of town planning and accessibility, Lamia El Aaraje. Present in all Parisian districts, these are “exemplary zones” allowing anyone, whatever their situation (families with strollers, elderly people, people with disabilities, etc.), to easily move around Paris and have access to municipal services and businesses.
“By making their stores accessible, merchants are not only meeting a legal obligation, but are opening their doors to a wider clientele and creating a commercial space where everyone finds their place,” maintains the City of Paris.
Actions aimed at all businesses are also being carried out, adds Paris town hall. “The City encourages them to assess their level of accessibility, to undertake actions to improve the reception of all users and to promote this commitment in their communication, in particular by listing in AccèsLibre, a collaborative accessibility platform », cites the municipality as an example.
Another initiative under its belt: a citizen mission of the Volunteers of Paris on the theme of accessibility was organized last June to travel the streets of hyper-accessible neighborhoods to meet merchants, educate them on ways to make their establishment more accessible and document the AccèsLibre public database.
