The Main Press Center opened on Tuesday for the 13th Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

It is unprecedented that the Paralympic Games uses the Olympic MPC and at the same time provides the facilities and services with the same criteria and level of those used for the Olympic Games, said Sha Wanquan, an official with MPC Venue Operation Team at the press conference on the media service held Tuesday.

The MPC for Paralympic Games is committed to offering professional information service, work support and residential service, with additional services specially provided for people with special needs.

According to the media registration center of the Paralympic Games, the total number of accredited media personnel of the Paralympic Games has reached 6,325 up to Monday, among whom more than 40 are journalists with a disability.

Taking into account of the particularity of the Beijing Paralympics, the MPC is strictly in compliance with the design specifications of barrier-free buildings, said Sha.

"All entrances of the MPC have flat accesses or wheelchair ramps to help people with special needs easily enter or exit from the building," Sha added.

The Beijing Paralympic Games is slated for Sept. 6-17, for which 1.19 million tickets of the total 1.65 million have been sold.

(Xinhua News Agency September 2, 2008)