PyeongChang launches program to enhance accessibility in restaurants, hotels

Organizers of the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang said Tuesday they have launched a program to enhance accessibility in restaurants and hotels in host cities.

The Games' organizing committee said in a statement it has released the "Accessibility Recognition Program," whereby the committee will look to increase the number of restaurants and accommodations easily accessible to pregnant, elderly or physically impaired individuals. The committee said it will encourage business owners and operators to install the necessary furniture or equipment accordingly.

The 2018 Winter Games will take place in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, some 180 kilometers east of Seoul, and in some of its nearby sub-host cities.

A restaurant must have an entrance accessible by wheelchairs, Western-style sit-down tables, and toilet facilities for the physically impaired if it's to be recognized as an "Accessibility Friendly Facility." Accommodations must have a certain number of wheelchair-friendly rooms and dedicated parking spots for the disabled.

Recognized restaurants and hotels will receive an official confirmation letter from the organizing committee, and they will be introduced on its website and in official Olympic and Paralympic guidebooks.

More information on requirements and procedures are available on the organizing committee's website at http://www.pyeongchang2018.com/horizon/eng/index.asp. (Yonhap)