Paris 2024: Samsung Enhances Accessibility, Showcases Galaxy AI and Celebrates the Unifying Power of Sport at the Paralympic Games

Since the Paralympic flame was lit on August 28, the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games have been shining an incredible spotlight on how the Paralympic Movement’s core values of determination, equality, inspiration and courage can move the world forward.

Aligned with this vision, Samsung Electronics provided nearly 5,000 Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition smartphones to all athletes participating in the Paralympic Games to further enrich the unforgettable experience of a “Games Wide Open.” The new device is packed with a full suite of useful pre-loaded apps and is enhanced with Galaxy AI and accessibility features that demonstrate Samsung’s belief in the power of technology to create a more inclusive world.

During the Paralympic Games, Samsung invited athletes to the Olympic™ rendezvous @ Samsung | Village Plaza pop-up experience to show them the latest Galaxy AI and accessibility features – and how the features can open and enhance their Games-time experience, as well as their daily lives, like never before.

▲ Paralympians Paris 2024 and teammates gather for a bespoke workshop at the Olympic™ rendezvous @ Samsung | Village Plaza.

More Open Communication With Interpreter

Athletes had the chance to test out Interpreter, which breaks down language barriers through real-time translations powered by Galaxy AI. A key feature when traveling or, in this case, meeting and engaging with fellow athletes from around the world, Interpreter has been helping everyone at Paris 2024 communicate with ease.

After attending a workshop with Samsung’s product specialists, Wesley Kimeli Sang (Para Athletics, Kenya) contemplated how Interpreter would allow him to better connect with other athletes during his time in Paris and beyond. “Interpreter can help us in many ways because sometimes we cannot communicate with other athletes. For example, some speak Arabic and others speak French,” Kimeli Sang said. “But this is very good for communication because we can speak fluently in our own language, and they can understand in their native languages.”

▲ Para athlete Wesley Kimeli Sang, Team Kenya, explores the Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition’s Interpreter during a live demonstration.

▲ Para athlete Wesley Kimeli Sang, Team Kenya, uses the Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition’s Interpreter for English to French translation with a Samsung product specialist.

▲ Members of Team Colombia discover the Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition’s Interpreter.

 A New Perspective With Bixby Vision for Accessibility

Athletes also learned more about Bixby Vision for accessibility, which helps visually impaired users experience the world around them by verbally describing what it sees. The feature has several accessibility subfeatures including Scene Describer, which describes captured or downloaded images and Object Identifier, which detects and identifies specific objects right in front of users. Text Reader, meanwhile, recognizes and reads out text. Color Detector, another subfeature, identifies and reads out colors present in users’ surrounding areas.

One athlete Bixby Vision impressed in particular was Kada Boualia (Goalball, France). Goalball is a team sport designed for the visually impaired, and Boualia knows firsthand how significant Bixby Vision’s functions are. “It’s going to be an incredible help for people with low vision because it will describe the environment,” Boualia said. “We used to have to go through an online app but it’s great that this phone already has this feature on it.”

▲ Goalball player Kada Boualia, Team France, tries out the Galaxy Z Flip6’s Bixby Vision at the Olympic™ rendezvous @ Samsung | Village Plaza.

“The accessibility world is adapting, and it is getting easier for individuals with visual impairments,” said Evan Molloy (Para Judo, Great Britain). “For people with visual impairments, to be able to use devices and not having to ask people to read things is really important.”

Epic Moments, Shared With Galaxy

At the Olympic™ rendezvous @ Samsung | Village Plaza, athletes used the Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition’s Flex Mode to capture special moments and share them with their friends and teammates. The Paralympians tried out various photography methods such as ‘Show Palm’ or voice commands to capture selfies more conveniently and share them with friends to make Paris 2024 an unforgettable experience.

When Team Samsung Galaxy’s Desirée Vila (Para Athletics, Spain) came to visit the Olympic™ rendezvous @ Samsung | Village Plaza, she was keen to try out new and efficient ways of capturing and sharing photos with friends at the Selfie Zone. “Especially for group pictures, I’m always the one using the phone or setting the timer and I’m not very fast with these prosthetics,” Vila said. “So for me, it’s really convenient to be able to just stay put without having to run and take the picture.”

▲ Para athlete and Team Samsung Galaxy member Desirée Vila of Team Spain poses using the Galaxy Z Flip6’s ‘Show Palm’ command to capture a photo to share with friends and family.

▲ Marathon guide Valentin Poncelet (L), Paralympic Marathon runner Martin Clobert (C) and marathon guide Sebastien Thirion (R) from Team Belgium use the Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition’s ‘Show Palm’ to pose for an impromptu Victory Selfie with Men’s T54 1500m gold medalist Jin Hua, Team People’s Republic of China.

A Tour of Paris With Galaxy AI

In other demonstrations, athletes used Galaxy AI’s Circle to Search and Browsing Assist features to uncover hidden gems in Paris and make the most of their time in the host city. Also supporting them were key accessibility features such as Magnification, which enhances readability for those with low vision through screen zoom.

During his visit to the Olympic™ rendezvous @ Samsung | Village Plaza, Martin Clobert (Paralympic Marathon, Belgium) highlighted how accessibility features can support daily life for individuals with visual impairments. “I think for me, as I am visually impaired, technology is important. I can’t see small details, so using Magnification makes reading, or posting something on social media easier,” Clobert explained.

▲ Paralympic Marathon runner Martin Clobert, Team Belgium, tries out the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 at the Olympic™ rendezvous @ Samsung | Village Plaza.

▲ Goalball Player Nabil Baich, Team France, explores the Galaxy Z Fold6 at Olympic™ rendezvous @ Samsung | Village Plaza.

Since its opening ceremony, the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games have been showcasing incredible sporting achievements and the impact of inclusivity in sport and society. As a Worldwide Paralympic Partner, Samsung is committed to developing meaningful innovations that are accessible to everyone and opening new possibilities for para athletes across the world.