Paris Not Accessibly Perfect?

This past month we had the hardest search for a long-term apartment…ever. Our search consultant wasn’t at all reluctant to take on the challenge because she has a member of her family permanently in a wheelchair and knew very well the requirements of the handicapped. But Paris is another story.

NOTE: I’d like to apologize if for any reason I do not have “disability etiquette.” It is possible I won’t use politically correct language, but it would be out of ignorance, not malice.

Paris is sadly not designed well for someone with such restrictions. People like me might not think of it — we more able-bodied folks think nothing of walking miles, climbing lots of stairs or managing the cobblestoned streets wearing high heels…and Paris is tough enough for us. Imagine what it must be like if your feet have been turned to wheels and the chair that supports you is wider than many of the sidewalks. “It ain’t easy.”

Throughout this article, I will be paraphrasing from a report provided by our search professional, therefore I make it known now that because she did such an excellent job of explaining the issues she discovered along the way, some of what you read here is not ‘plagiarized,’ but ‘borrowed’ with her permission.

To start with, there is a lack of long-term rental apartments. Even if you are willing and able to climb five or six flights of stairs, there is slim pickin’s. Then, add the requirement for wheelchair access and your choices get limited to almost none. The question of accessibility wasn’t even addressed by the city until 1975 and most architecture in the city was designed and built many years, or centuries prior to that.

For an apartment to be wheelchair-accessible, building entries must have ramps, upper floors must have elevators, the elevators must be large enough, doorways must be wide enough, bathrooms must have “Italian-style” showers, etc., etc., etc. Buildings build prior to 1975 aren’t likely to be able comply. We did find owners, however, who were willing to make certain other adaptations to accommodate our client. After searching every nook and cranny, our consultant managed to find a respectable collection of apartments that could suit the physically disabled.

SageTraveling.com says: “Many disabled travelers think Paris is not wheelchair friendly, but that isn’t totally true. Nearly all of Paris’ accessibility challenges can be overcome if you know how to get around the various barriers.” But, later in their article, it admits that 19th-century buildings are among the most challenging aspects.

Some hotels have made a point of adapting to the disabled, such as the Citadines which has several locations in Paris with studio apartments with kitchenettes. There are 169 hotels in Paris offering these “adapted” rooms (“chambre adaptée”) which can be found on Jaccede.com — an excellent site for showing wheelchair-accessible locations all over the city.

The Paris Metro is a disaster for the disabled, as there are only a few accessible stations, and they are not very helpful for getting between the tourist sights. The Paris bus system, however, is a fantastic alternative. Our client was very concerned about the safety on the buses, so our consultant phoned the Association des Paralysés de France, the largest group in the country representing the rights of the physically handicapped, to ask if there were any safety issues for people in wheelchairs traveling on city buses. The Paris APF representative replied, “I’m in a wheelchair and I’ve never found traveling on the buses difficult or unsafe.”

Taxis have been adapted by the Taxi G7 Horizon division. These taxis are available 24/7 and fares are identical to those of a classic taxi (in accordance with the pricing system put in place by the French administration and applicable to all taxis).

One thing she learned from the research was that a motorized wheelchair is far more preferable to a manual wheelchair for managing the curbs and cobblestone streets. It can get around the humps and bumps without making one’s hands raw from pushing the wheels along. To get around town independently, it is advisable to come to Paris with a motorized wheelchair…and to live here!?…accept that there will be some trade-offs to make as Paris is certainly not accessibly perfect!

Further resources:

Access in Paris
Mobile en Ville
Paris Info
For an index of accessible Métro and train stations see the Metro map for disabled persons, Journée d’Accessibilité 2015, or their Program PDF.

A bientôt,

Adrian Leeds

Editor, French Property Insider

Email:  [email protected]

 
P.S. Looking for a long-term rental apartment in Paris for 3 months to 3 years? The Adrian Leeds Group can help! We can assist you in finding the ideal furnished or unfurnished apartment based on your specific needs and budget, or view an apartment you’ve already found. For details or to book our services, visit Long-term Apartment Search or email [email protected].