As part of the DuoDay initiative, Paris 2024 welcomed 20 people with disabilities into its teams on Thursday for a day of engagement and learning.

As part of the DuoDay initiative, a European movement that is being led in France by the Secretary of State for Disabled Persons, Paris 2024 opened its doors to 20 people with disabilities on Thursday and gave them the opportunity to work in its international relations, planning, culture, human resources, communication, and partnership teams, among others.

Possessing skills and experience that respond to the challenges faced by Paris 2024, each participant had been pre-selected in partnership with Apec (Association for Executive Employment), Pôle Emploi (a French governmental employment agency) and the charity Tremplin.

A day of Duos
The participants were welcomed at their workplaces for the day by the Paris 2024 employees who would work alongside them in pairs, known under the initiative as Duos. After watching a presentation on the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the values of Olympism and the adventure of a lifetime that Paris 2024 has embarked on, they then began their working day together, in their Duos.
Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet formed one such Duo with Stéphane, 31, a media student and amateur Parasport athlete. Together they made their way to VivaTech, an annual conference dedicated to innovation and startups, before moving on to the Festival of Shared Practices in Drancy, where 650 able-bodied persons and people with disabilities came together to take part in sporting and artistic activities.

At the end of the afternoon, all the Duos had the chance to speak to Tony Estanguet about their experiences and what they had learned from the day.

Paris 2024 committed to a more inclusive society
Aside from this initiative, Paris 2024 is also striving to bring people together and increase knowledge and understanding of difference and disability through its projects, which include Olympic and Paralympic Week in Schools and Olympic Day, held every year on 23 June.

“We are convinced that sport can change the way disability is viewed,” said Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet. “Our goal is to make the Paralympic Games a powerful lever for change. In striving to organise a truly accessible Games, we are currently working on our universal accessibility strategy, in association with the relevant charities and institutions.”

In terms of recruitment, Paris 2024 is also determined to make persons with disabilities an integral part of its teams. This is a key challenge, with teams set to double in size every year and employee numbers totalling over 4,000 by 2024.

Paris 2024 employment opportunities are published on specialist sites such as Handicap.fr to ensure that they are visible and accessible to all. Furthermore, participation in DuoDay and the Hello Handicap event was organised in line with a genuinely sourcing-focused approach.