(Il testo seguente è tratto integralmente dalla nota stampa inviata all’Agenzia Opinione) –
///
**Milano Cortina 2026 presenta la strategia per l’accessibilità e l’inclusione**
**Un piano completo per garantire Giochi accessibili a tutti e creare un’eredità duratura per i territori**
Milan, 10 March 2026 – In the journey from the awarding of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to their delivery, Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 has developed an accessibility and inclusion strategy structured around two overarching objectives: ensuring Games that are fully accessible to everyone; and generating both tangible and intangible legacy outcomes designed to endure beyond the event.
**GAMES FOR ALL**
To ensure full participation and an experience free from barriers and discrimination, Fondazione has worked along two main directions.
The first has involved interinstitutional collaboration with all stakeholders engaged in the delivery of the Games — from the International Paralympic Committee to national and local institutions, including Government, Regions, Autonomous Provinces and Host Cities — with the objective of promoting greater accessibility at competition venues, ceremonies and across the territories involved in the Games.
The second direction has focused on the direct experience of all participants, from athletes to spectators, through the implementation of measures tailored to specific needs. People with physical, intellectual or visual disabilities are able to access venues accompanied by an assistant; people with hearing disabilities may be supported by an Italian Sign Language (LIS) interpreter or a communication assistant. At every competition and ceremony venue, dedicated areas have been arranged for guide dogs and assistance dogs.
For the first time in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the possibility has been introduced to indicate an intellectual disability during the ticket purchasing process, enabling the activation of facilitators such as quiet spaces, noise-cancelling headphones and identification lanyards for non-visible disabilities. At all venues, a priority lane has also been established with trained personnel and sound insulation equipment. For people with invisible disabilities or chronic conditions, the Sunflower lanyard is available — a tool already adopted in airports and major international events.
These measures have been defined with the objective of aligning as closely as possible with the principle of universal accessibility established in Article 2 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in coherence with the European Strategy for Accessibility and Inclusion, national and regional regulations for the removal of architectural barriers, the Accessibility Guidelines of the International Paralympic Committee, the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Agenda 2020+5, and the Sustainability and Legacy Strategy of Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026.
**TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE LEGACY**
The second pillar of the strategy concerns the generation of a legacy intended to remain within the territories hosting the Games.
From the perspective of tangible legacy, the Games have accelerated a series of infrastructure interventions — both public and private — that will remain assets for host communities. These include: the adoption of Plans for the Elimination of Architectural Barriers (PEBA) and Urban Accessibility Plans (PAU); initiatives aimed at improving accessibility for pedestrian mobility and local public transport; private initiatives to adapt accommodation facilities and sports infrastructure; and programmes aimed at developing more inclusive tourism.
Significant examples of this commitment include accessibility interventions at the Arena di Verona, the upgrading of Milan’s M1 and M2 metro lines, the purchase of new rolling stock for local public transport and improvements to accessibility in several railway stations, from Bolzano to Tirano. The Milan Olympic and Paralympic Village, designed from the outset according to universal accessibility principles, represents an emblematic example of this legacy: after the Games it will be converted into a university campus, ensuring that investments in accessibility continue to generate value for the community.
On the level of intangible legacy, over the years training activities have been promoted, in collaboration with public and private entities, for designers, coaches and sports managers on the themes of inclusive sport and universal design. This work has been facilitated by the establishment of permanent consultation forums with all territorial entities involved in the organisation of the Games.
Among the initiatives in the sports sector is Adaptive Winter Sport, a programme developed in collaboration with Sports Federations and the Italian Paralympic Committee to expand access to sport for people with disabilities. The project includes training pathways for instructors and coaches, open days dedicated to Paralympic ice sports, support for training camps for young athletes with disabilities, and the provision of equipment to ski clubs and sports associations across the territory.
Thanks to the collaboration with P&G, Global Partner of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, sports equipment and gear essential for the development of Para ice hockey have been donated. Additional contributions have also supported the organisation of events dedicated to the promotion of Paralympic ice sports.
**THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME**
A central role in delivering accessible Games is played by the Milano Cortina 2026 Volunteer Programme, which has involved 18,000 people through inclusive selection criteria and training pathways dedicated to accessibility and welcoming practices. The programme has represented a key tool in fostering the active participation of people with disabilities and NEET youth, offering concrete opportunities for personal and professional development.
**A NEW STARTING POINT**
Together, these initiatives have contributed not only to the successful delivery of the Games, but also to establishing a new starting point for a more inclusive society with fewer barriers – a legacy that Milano Cortina 2026 aims to leave to Italy and to the international sporting community. If an Arena with more than two thousand years of history can be made more accessible, any space can.
