Paralympics fans had difficult time, changes may not happen
GANGNEUNG, Korea, Republic Of — As the world’s top Paralympic athletes competed on ice and snow, Erica Mitchell steered through her own obstacle course on Pyeongchang’s narrow and uneven streets.
The 31-year-old Chicago resident was one of many people with disabilities who spoke to The Associated Press this week about accessibility problems at the Paralympic Games in South Korea’s rural east, despite what organizers described as a “perfectly” organized event that provided the “highest level” of access.
“I felt like my walker was on waves,” laughed Mitchell, an accomplished women’s sled hockey player who came to the games as a spectator. “There were other people with crutches and they were struggling to walk because of uneven surface. Some of the (sidewalk) stones were falling out —that wasn’t the best.”
When the Paralympics ended Sunday with the closing ceremony at the soon-to-be-demolished Olympic Stadium, South Korea faced questions about the event’s legacy.