Meticulous and perfect-barrier-free service for the 2021 Wheelchair Curling World Championships-International Online

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 28th. Topic: Careful and Perfect-Accessibility Services for the 2021 Wheelchair Curling World Championships

Xinhua News Agency reporter Ji Jiadong

As the only disabled sports event in the “Meet in Beijing” series of test competitions, the 2021 Wheelchair Curling World Championships demonstrates the humanistic care of the host on the issue of how to serve disabled athletes. “The Paralympics itself is not just a sporting competition, but more importantly a humanistic symbol. It reflects how a country cares for and helps the disabled.” said Yang Jinkui, director of the Paralympics Department of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Winter Olympics.

Perfect barrier-free service

Qi Zhiguang, deputy manager of the “Ice Cube” venue and infrastructure, introduced that from March 2018 to the completion of construction in November 2020, the team followed the “Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympics Accessibility Guidelines” to the periphery of the venues. The various entrances and exits, elevators, wheelchair ramps, changing rooms and toilets in the venue have all been upgraded without barriers.

In addition to special ramps for athletes and referees, the organizing committee also set up ramps for media stands to facilitate journalists with disabilities to participate in reporting. Kate Kesnes, chairman of the World Curling Federation, once said after an inspection that the design of the ramp in the “Ice Cube” stadium is both light and beautiful, showing the Chinese style, giving all athletes a good experience.

Yang Jinkui introduced a detail: “The baffle next to the ice track is sponge. If athletes don’t walk there (ice exit), they can walk from the side. This is what we call barrier-free.”

The barrier-free services of the venue 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 locker rooms, low-level service desks, voice prompts, and barrier-free sign systems Wait.

“The experience of all customer groups is very good now.” Yang Jinkui said, “All barrier-free services are perfect.”

Exquisite details of boarding and lodging are in place

A total of 92 people from 12 countries and regions stayed at the China Disabled Sports Management Center (hereinafter referred to as the Management Center). From October 17th, they have been living and training here until October 31st.

According to Xu Hongzhen, director of the Jiuxianqiao Sub-district Office of Chaoyang District, under the athlete-centered concept of running the competition, the management center not only invited experts for two on-site inspections, the construction team also personally sat in a wheelchair to conduct various tests.

In terms of catering, whether it is food procurement, storage, or later 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 lead and provide personalized meals to athletes in need. The management center also deliberately prepared an alcohol heating pot, so that athletes can eat hot and delicious meals at any time.

Taking into account the changes in weather, each room is equipped with two futons, electric heaters and toilet mats, and English labels are pasted on domestic washing machines and dryers. In order to take care of athletes with pollen allergies and other past allergies, the management center specially installed air purifiers in the rooms.

Comprehensive and meticulous medical protection

The medical team studied the injuries and illnesses of the Winter Olympics in April, fully understood the big data statistics of the previous Winter Paralympics, and formed a medical insurance plan.

The team in the venue is composed of Beijing Tsinghua Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and a total of 39 medical staff are dispatched, some of whom are double Olympic staff with rich experience. Taking into account the particularity of the wheelchair curling project, the team covers members of the emergency department, general practice, orthopedics, surgery, neurology, rehabilitation, respiratory medicine and cardiovascular medicine to help athletes solve sports injuries, lower extremity infections, urinary tract infections and other diseases .

On the other hand, the 999 Emergency Center sent 19 people and three ambulances 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 go to 306 Hospital, which is the nearest to the venue.

According to Wu Sheng, the medical officer of the venue, there are four barrier-free principles in medical security work: concept barrier-free, information barrier-free, hardware facilities barrier-free, and service barrier-free. In order to achieve barrier-free concepts, “the first thing the medical team members do before the game is to personally experience the barrier-free facilities in the stadium.” Wu Sheng said, “even we have to know how the toilets for the disabled are used. Does it open inwards or outwards.”

Bring barrier-free access to more people

Speaking of the assistance of sports for the disabled to the entire cause of persons with disabilities, Yang Jinkui said: “In 2008, we made a big leap. Especially in Beijing, both public facilities and venue construction have met certain requirements. For the Winter Paralympics. , Our organizing committee issued an accessibility guide when it was established, and the International Paralympic Committee and our national standards are integrated.”

“For example, normal elevators can be large or small, but barrier-free elevators must be 1 m 4 wide and 2 m 1 deep. Not only can they be used by the disabled, but they must also 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, which are “remarkable.”

Yang Jinkui introduced that at the beginning of its establishment, the Organizing Committee of the Winter Olympics stipulated “one post with two responsibilities” and required equal responsibility for the Winter Olympics and the Paralympics. The referees, volunteers, and staff participating in the Winter Olympics will continue to participate in the Winter Paralympics. Many people have to work for more than 50 days, which is a double test for them. “If the first half is not done well, I am afraid that the second half will be broken. We require simultaneous planning, simultaneous implementation, and different operational plans. This is what I said to achieve equality. We must not only serve for this event, but also It is necessary to improve the civilized level of the entire society and help the disabled integrate into the social family.”