Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games Showcase Culture, Art, and Accessibility Initiatives

Culture and the Olympic movement have long been closely intertwined. Wherever the Olympic Games are held, a cultural Olympiad typically accompanies the sporting spectacle. Milano and Cortina are no exception. Alongside the cultural elements embedded in both the opening and closing ceremonies, the host cities have organized a range of events highlighting their rich cultural heritage. Artists and cultural troupes from participating nations have also been invited, offering audiences a broader cultural experience during the Games.

During the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo have hosted a shared meeting space celebrating sport, art, and the values of inclusion.

A day after the opening ceremony, Casa Paralimpica Italiana opened its doors as a symbolic venue accompanying the Games. The initiative, promoted by the Italian Paralympic Committee, aims to celebrate Paralympic sport in two iconic locations, Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, cities united by a common spirit.

The project is guided by the initiative’s claim, “Italia IN Gioco,” which reflects a country stepping forward both as host nation and active participant. In this context, “IN” represents integration and innovation.

The tangram pictogram used by the initiative serves as a visual metaphor for different elements coming together to create value. This concept is reflected in a diverse programme of events that include meetings with medal-winning athletes as well as symbolic moments dedicated to inclusion.

On March 10, Casa Paralimpica Italiana in Cortina d’Ampezzo hosted the presentation of the Manifesto against discrimination in sport. The document was signed by Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 in collaboration with the Italian Paralympic Committee and the Observatory for Security Against Discriminatory Acts (OSCAD).

The event, promoted by OSCAD, featured Valentina Marchei, Olympic figure skater and Head of the Ambassador Programme at Milano Cortina 2026, along with Martina Caironi, Paralympic champion and Milano Cortina 2026 Ambassador. During the event, they presented the “Parità in Campo” toolkit developed by Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026.

In Milan, the host city of the para ice hockey competitions, Allianz Tower has served as the institutional and networking hub of the organizing committee. The venue has hosted hospitality programmes, networking events, and culinary offerings prepared by “Da Vittorio.”

In Cortina d’Ampezzo, Galleria Farsettiarte and Casa Esselunga have been transformed into immersive spaces where art, technology, and sport come together to promote inclusion. Visitors have engaged with interactive installations, virtual reality experiences, quizzes, and a “Wall of Emotions,” turning the venue into a participatory experience centered on Paralympic values.

Art has also played a central role in the cultural programme. An exhibition by the Scuola Romana del Fumetto reinterprets Paralympic sports through the tangram concept. Another exhibition curated by Farsettiarte features works by leading figures of modern and informal abstraction, including Tancredi, Castellani, Dorazio, Bonalumi, and Perilli. Their works explore color, form, and three-dimensionality, creating a dialogue with the immersive environment of the venue.

Inside Casa Paralimpica Italiana, a dedicated RAI broadcast station provides live connections and allows visitors to watch competitions, reinforcing the venue’s role as a gathering point for media, athletes, institutions, and partners.

The venue was designed by architect Francesco Zanon of Anfibio in collaboration with the Italian Paralympic Committee. Galleria Farsetti Arte curated and installed the exhibition dedicated to the masters of Italian abstraction, contributing to a dialogue between art, form, and movement aligned with the spirit of Italia IN Gioco.

Audio description enhances accessibility at Milano Cortina 2026

Despite the growing dominance of social media, traditional communication channels such as live commentary and audio description continue to play an important role at major sporting events.

At the Milano Cortina Games, audio description has helped make competitions accessible to blind and partially sighted audiences through a dedicated system supported by a team of trained professionals.

Audio description has become an important tool in making sport more accessible. At the Games, the service has allowed visually impaired audiences to experience competitions through the Audiodescrizione26 app. The application provides event-by-event and city-by-city descriptions and operates through a unique code provided by the Istituto dei Ciechi di Milano to ensure secure access.

“The system broadcasts the event live with a minimum delay of around a quarter of a second.’ ‘The most complex technical challenge was to ensure continuous, stable coverage throughout the Games, while maintaining the quality of the service at all venues”, says Tony D’Angelo, the project manager.

Audio describers typically work from the press box, positioned centrally to capture movements on the field and reactions in the stands. Their guiding principle is to maintain continuous narration so that listeners are not left without context. The service is provided both in person at competition venues and remotely using feeds supplied by the International Broadcasting Centre (IBC).

Usage of the audio description service varied across sports and ceremonies.

For the Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies, there were 48 listeners in Italian and 22 in English, and 30 listeners in Italian and 11 in English respectively. For the Paralympic Opening Ceremony, 31 listeners followed in Italian and 12 in English.

Among sports venues, curling at the Cortina Curling Stadium recorded the highest number of Italian listeners with 181. Figure skating at the Assago Ice Skating Arena attracted a strong English-language audience, with 62 listeners.

For para ice hockey at the Milano Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena, the Italian audio description recorded more than one hundred listens. At the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in Val di Fiemme and the Anterselva Biathlon Arena, audiences were more evenly divided across languages. Cross-country skiing registered 49 listeners in Italian and 42 in English, while biathlon recorded 75 in Italian and 26 in English. German-language audiences also showed notable engagement with 52 listens overall.

Tony D’Angelo explained that audio describers for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games were selected based on strict criteria. These included passion for sport, the ability to deliver vivid commentary, experience in journalism or radio, strong communication skills, familiarity with winter sports, and a commitment to inclusion. A total of 57 professionals, aged between 19 and 61, were selected.

To support their preparation, Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 provided technical manuals covering both ice and snow disciplines.

“The difference compared to a traditional radio commentary is substantial,” says Tony D’Angelo. In a radio commentary, what the viewer sees is taken for granted; in audio description, you have to reconstruct every detail, as if the listener were completely in the dark. You describe shapes, colors, spaces, postures, snow conditions, split times, and the athletes’ emotions. Even during breaks, we provide technical information because it cannot be assumed that everyone knows the rules. It’s like describing the match to a blind friend who’s watching it with us.”

Enrico Boiani, an audio descriptor at the Games, emphasized the importance of preparation. “Knowing the competitors, the venues and the dynamics of the competition allows you to describe everything you see and convey the emotion.’ Nothing can be taken for granted. Every extra detail helps the listener feel involved.” Being honest with the audience is also crucial: in very fast sports like hockey or para ice hockey, you can get confused, and if that happens, you have to correct yourself immediately, just like a fan in the stands would do.” Putting yourself on the same level as the listener makes audio description even more immersive.”

Boiani noted that hockey and para ice hockey are among the most challenging sports to describe because of their speed, while curling allows for a more relaxed pace of commentary. Skiing, he added, has provided some memorable moments, particularly during Federica Brignone’s victories. “Describing her tears to visually impaired fans was something indescribable.”