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Paris is not particularly well equipped for les handicapés (disabled people): kerb ramps are few and far between, older public facilities and bottom-end hotels usually lack lifts, and the metro, most of it built decades ago, is inaccessible for those in a wheelchair ( fauteuil roulant). But disabled people who would like to visit Paris can overcome these problems. Most hotels with two or more stars are equipped with lifts, and Michelin's Guide Rouge indicates hotels with lifts and facilities for disabled people. For details of sites that provide facilities for the handicapped, go to parisinfo.com.
Paris abounds in places that will delight children. Family visits to many areas of the city can be designed around a rest stop (or picnic) in the many parks and gardens surrounding museums and historical sights. It is a nifty idea to take children to the Eiffel Tower where they survey the city and get excited about exploring at ground level.
Paris is home to thriving gay and lesbian communities, and same-sex couples are a common sight on its streets. In 1999 the government enacted its PACS (Pacte Civile de Solidarité) legislation, designed to give homosexual couples the same legal protection (eg, regarding inheritance) as married heterosexuals, and in May 2001, Paris elected Bertrand Delanoë, a European capital's first openly gay mayor.
