Paris is a city full of historical heritage, which often implies difficult or limited access for people with disabilities. The city is making a visible effort to adapt, and so to offer a greater accessibility to its treasures… thanks to notable improvements in a variety of installations open to the public, such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, transports, museums and different leisure venues.

Since 1997, the French Secretary of State for Tourism has been taking steps to raise awareness and mobilize representatives of the tourist industry in order to improve the integration of people with disabilities into the world of tourism.

In 2001, an intensive campaign of identification has been undertaken on a national level, with reference to 4 main categories of disability: physical, mental, visual and hearing. The “Tourisme & Handicap” label aims to provide accurate information for clients with specific needs, regarding the accessibility of holiday and leisure venues.

In addition to this label, there is a set of regulations in France dating from 1978, outlining the measures to be taken to ensure that new facilities open to the public are accessible to people with limited mobility.