Open up

Getting more accessible

Making the Paris Opera accessible to all.

Opening the Paris Opera to as many people as possible.
Making the tangible and intangible heritage of the Paris Opera accessible to all through innovative devices.

The project

In a renewed approach to inclusion, the Opera wishes to strengthen its collaboration with the Accès Culture association, which began in 2008, and to propose new innovative measures that will enable it to open up even more to people with disabilities.

The following devices will be deployed from the 2021/2022 season:

3 operas (Flying Dutchman, Don Giovanni, Faust) and for the first time 1 ballet (Don Quixote) in audio description (instead of 3 shows in previous seasons).
Visits to the Bastille Opera House and the Palais Garnier with tactile models for the blind or visually impaired;
Visits to the Bastille Opera House and the Palais Garnier in French sign language for the deaf or hard of hearing.
Pre-visits to theatres for people with sensory disabilities.
Audiodescription performances on the digital platform « L'Opéra Chez Soi » ( « Opera at Home » ) ;
Training day for the staff of the Paris Opera.

At the same time, the Opera will continue to adapt its theatres to better accommodate people with reduced mobility, notably by renovating the sanitary facilities at the Opéra Bastille and by installing handrails at the Palais Garnier, on the forecourt and in the lobby.

Le calendrier :

The last few seasons

Audio description of 3 shows per season

From the 2021/2022 season to the 2023/2024 season

Audio description of 4 shows per season + deployment of new devices + reflection on other potential accessibility needs

Did you know?

For almost twenty years, about three shows have been offered in audio description each year, for example: in 2018/2019 La Force du destin, Otello, Rusalka.
The Palais Garnier's first boxes have been refurbished in recent years to make them more comfortable for disabled spectators.
The historic "Aga Khan" lift was restored in 2014 thanks to KONE's sponsorship. It provides access to the dressing rooms from street level, without a flight of stairs.
Work to install handrails at the Palais Garnier and to renovate and bring the sanitary facilities at the Opéra Bastille up to standard is already underway, financed in part by the Opéra or by grants already obtained.

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