Metros in the Paris area accessible to disabled people.
Because of its underground configuration and its age, the Paris metro network will never be accessible in its entirety. However, major efforts are being made to improve accessibility in terms of spaces and services. Only line 14 is now fully accessible.
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Line 14 crosses Paris from Olympiades in the south-east to Saint-Lazare in the north-west. It serves many tourist attractions: Bibliothèque François Mitterrand, Bercy Village, Parc de Bercy, Cinémathèque Française, Halles shopping centre, Louvre museum, Garnier Opera district, Madeleine, Pinacothèque de Paris, Grands Magasins, etc.
What's more, it offers total accessibility for people with reduced mobility, thanks to :
Before your journey, remember to check [the state of the lifts].(https://me-deplacer.iledefrance-mobilites.fr/ascenseurs/ligne/line%3AIDFM%3AC01384) in metro.
For the visually impaired, warning strips have been installed along all the edges of the platforms on the Metro and RER networks. Inlaid with mini studs, they are sensitive to the touch of a foot and a walking stick, and warn blind and partially-sighted people of the proximity of the track.
New platform doors are also gradually being installed on the platforms of lines 1 and 13, and are already installed on all the platforms of line 14. As well as their role in regulating traffic, these doors add a sense of security for the visually impaired.
With the exception of line 14, all the platforms on all the metro lines are equipped with a public address system for visual signs announcing the waiting time before the next two metros and their direction. On the same line, the two directions are announced by either a male or a female voice, to help visually impaired people find their way around.
To help you get around, the Metro-connexion provides a detailed description of connecting journeys on the Paris (and Lyon) metro. The information is available in French.
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RATP's signage is visible, legible, consistent and understandable to all, using a simple font that contrasts with the surface, and colour codes specific to each line, etc. Renovated stations are seeing their signage panels become more visible and legible by increasing their size.
Once inside the metro trains on line 14, wheelchair users can take a seat in the areas opposite the doors. As metro line 14 runs at high speed, we strongly advise you to hold onto one of the many bars on the trains.
For the visually impaired, lines 1, 4 and 14 provide an audible announcement of the next station inside the trains.
The closing of the doors of all metro trains is announced by a buzzer.
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For the hearing impaired, the next station to be served is also indicated visually by a flashing light. Stations that have already been served remain lit to indicate the direction of travel. These illuminated maps are already present on metros 2, 3 and 13. In metro 1 trains, screens visually announce upcoming stations.
The equipment programme is continuing on other lines as part of the renovation or renewal of trains.
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