'Athlete-centered' service covers Winter Paralympic Villages

The Winter Paralympics Villages in Beijing Yanqing and Zhangjiakou officially opened to the public as the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics is about to kick off on Thursday.

To ensure safety and comfort in the "Home of Athletes", the Organizing Committee has been fully prepared to provide comprehensive and considerate services covering food, accommodation and transportation.

Considerate dining facilities

Smart restaurants across Winter Olympic Villages were highly praised during the Winter Olympics. Many details adopted by the restaurants in Winter Paralympic Villages have shown China's humane care for athletes.

"We have changed the number of tables and chairs, making it convenient for two wheelchairs to pass at once," explained Gao Xuemei, catering manager at the Winter Paralympic Village, "and we've raised the height of tables by five to six centimeters so that athletes can put their wheelchairs under." In addition, braille menus have been provided.

Thoughtful details in accommodation

As the home of athletes during the Winter Paralympics, all apartments have adopted convenient technologies.

Antiskid materials have been applied to the floor; nearly all doors are sliding and can be opened with one hand; accessibility facilities including showering stools and lower-position shower heads have been adopted in bathrooms; beds have been lowered by ten centimeters for athletes on wheelchairs.

Fine service in transportation

Temporary accessibility facilities have been installed in places inside the Winter Paralympic Village, including apartments, the gym, recreation center, and activity plaza to provide convenient transportation for athletes.

Guide dogs will serve as "volunteers" to aid visually impaired athletes.

Behind such smart management and detailed services lies the enthusiasm for the Winter Paralympic Village. Beijing is determined to hold another "Athlete-Centered" sports event after Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.