With the city set to host the Super Bowl in February, New Orleans advocates and leaders hope they can use the big game as a catalyst for change, and improve the city so that everyone can enjoy it, Fast Company reports.
More than 550 infrastructure projects are underway to upgrade sidewalks and roads and make the city easier for residents and visitors to enjoy.
“I think for Super Bowls, we see cities take a beautification approach, as opposed to a functional approach,” says Mark Raymond Jr., a local disability advocate who serves on the Regional Transit Authority Board of Commissioners. “We need to do both.”
A quadriplegic who runs an adaptive gym for people with disabilities, Raymond wants New Orleans to dramatically improve accessibility before the game. He sees the most viable path forward as a combination of infrastructure improvements—fixing the sidewalks, fixing the streets, and making sure the curb cuts are good—as well as improved communication, and letting differently abled fans understand that they can have a great experience.
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