Games host "unready for disabled"

In early 2014 the Russian city of Sochi will host both the Winter Olympics and the Paralympic Games.

But some athletes and residents say Sochi is far from ready to cope with the needs of disabled people.

Sergei Shilov is a wheelchair racer with the Russian Paralympic team.

(SOUNDBITE)(Russian) SERGEI SHILOV, WHEELCHAIR RACER AND RUSSIAN PARALYMPIC TEAM MEMBER, SAYING:

"The city was built at a time when no-one thought that there would be disabled people here, that there would be Paralympic Games and now the reconstruction has begun. It's been under reconstruction for seven years. As we used to say, Moscow wasn't built in a day but a lot has to change in the minds of those people in charge of it - builders, managers."

The chairman of Sochi's Society of Wheelchair-bound People is also pointing out problems.

Oleg Stekolnikov is finding problems ranging from ramps too steep for wheelchairs to inaccessible press-buttons on pedestrian crossing lights.