Paris Paralympics 2024: Svayam announced as official accessibility partner for Indian contingent

Svayam donated a special accessible vehicle for the Indian athletes at Paris Paralympics 2024.

After being appointed as the accessibility partner for the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, leading accessibility organization Svayam once again stepped up to champion the cause of accessibility and inclusion in sports. Svayam has been named as the official accessibility partner for this year’s Paris Paralympics 2024 for the second time and with this collaboration, Svayam made transportation accessible and inclusive for the entire Indian Para Contingent.

To further the accessibility agenda, Svayam also donated a special accessible vehicle that can accommodate wheelchairs without the athletes having to be displaced from the wheelchair to board/ deboard for increased mobility.

Commenting on their endeavour to onboard Svayam as its accessibility partner for the Paralympics 2024, PCI President, Mr. Devendra Jhajharia said, “With an effort to ensure ease of travel and dignity of players during their local commute to the airport and training facilities, we appointed Svayam as our preferred accessibility partner.

Their dedication to enhancing accessibility is crucial in boosting confidence and empowering our para-athletes and I am ecstatic at the level to which Svayam is raising awareness about the needs of people with disabilities and reduced mobility.”

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As part of this partnership, Svayam, the not-for-profit initiative of the Sminu Jindal Charitable Trust, provided accessible transportation for the Indian contingent to make transportation from their respective hostels and residences to the airport much smoother and more convenient, and also conducted comprehensive access audits of pre-identified hotels and buildings where the para-players were staying in New Delhi. 

Expressing her elation at this association, Ms. Sminu Jindal, Founder-Chairperson, Svayam said, “Being the Accessibility Partner is both an honor and a responsibility. Our partnership continues to break down barriers and promote dignity and independence for people with reduced mobility. This year too Svayam will ensure that the dignity of para-players hailing from across the country is not compromised.

We are dedicated to creating an equitable environment where every player can focus on their performance without worrying about accessibility and we look forward to more such opportunities in the future.”

This initiative was very well received by a majority of this year’s Indian para-athletes, as they entered the airport with hopes of bringing home numerous medals and accolades thereby further uplifting India in the global sports arena.

Speaking on the occasion, Para-Table Tennis star Bhavina Patel said, “With the support of organizations like SAI, the Table Tennis Federation of India, and OGQ, we’ve seen remarkable growth in our athletes. Svayam, equally, has played an important role by providing special vehicles that enhance accessibility and travel comfort, highlighting their crucial role in improving our overall experience and performance.”

Other athletes like Para-Athlete Sakshi Kasana also appreciated Svayam’s efforts toward promoting accessibility in sports and said, “The special vehicles provided to us significantly eased our journey, allowing me to focus more on my training and preparation. They made a real difference in my daily routine, helping me to practice better and allowing me to stay focused on achieving the best results”.

Svayam has a proven track record of promoting accessibility in sports and supporting PCI in various events, including their involvement during the Tokyo Paralympics 2021 and in the 5th Indian Open Para-Athletic International Championship & Regional Sports Training held at Bangalore in 2023; not to mention its association with the first Khelo India Para Games 2023 under the Sports Authority of India (SAI), and the Disability Cricket Council of India (DCCI) since 2020.

As the Paris Paralympics 2024 promises to be an exciting event with over 4,000 athletes from around the globe, Svayam and PCI wishes all the para-athletes from the Indian contingent good fortune, health, and luck for their performances as it continues to route for Team India.

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