The 2016 Paralympic Games begin on September 7. This morning, the Paralympic village opened to the Paralympic athletes. A few modifications needed to be made to prepare the housing structures. Other essential accommodations were prepared in the original construction of the Village.
About 4,350 athletes will be living in the Village in Barra de Tijuca, Rio. An additional 3,000 support staff will also be traveling to Rio, many of them also living in the Village.
Initial building designs included wide doors and hallways to accommodate wheelchairs. Since the end of the Olympic Games on August 21, some beds have been removed from double rooms in order to make more space. Some chairs have also been removed to make space for wheelchairs.
Additionally, the official prosthetic provider for the Paralympic Games, Ottobock, has established it’s repair center in the Village.
Read more from The International Paralympic Committee here.