THEtalism and accessibility is a complicated combination. Try to live in the province and decide to go to Milan one afternoon. If you are forced to move in a motorized wheelchair, like Valentina Tomirottialias Pepitosayou may decide to… give up. “There subway Milanese is almost completely inaccessible: some lifts exist but not in all the stations and the risk of finding the only one under maintenance makes me want to stop “, admits the blogger and activist” nsession in 1982“. “A Taxi? Impossible to pre-book one that accepts to load my wheelchair. It is to be hoped that, upon my arrival, one of the few equipped ones will be available ». (For the record, in Rome it is a little better, by calling 3570 you can book a ride with wheelchair transport).
Peba, that is: accessibility in Italy is law
Accessibility should be a priority objective for society and the Italian state: it is even sanctioned by a law, the m ° 41 of 1986 according to which all the Municipalities are obliged to adopt the Peba, Plans for the elimination of architectural barriers. “Unfortunately, less than 5% of the municipalities actually adopted them», Explains Evelina Di Giugno, Vice President of Peba Onlusan association that not only fights but works practically, supporting concrete actions, for the removal of barriers (for example, mapping cities, helping to recover resources for jobs and offering the technical expertise to do them well): “For don’t talk about cities: Milan did it in 2014, in anticipation of the Expo but it still has a lot of work to do, something like 3,300 barrier-breaking interventions to be carried out, for a value of around 80 million euros ”.
AND, speaking of the subway, 70% of the stops are inaccessible: a surface service has been active for thirty years that people with disabilities can book. “With costs that, over time, could have been more wisely addressed for the construction of lifts.”
(Getty photo)
Accessibility is for everyone, from infants to grandparents
Typically, the administrations proclaim their commitment and implement some works on the eve of major events: “Rome did it even before the 1990 World Cup and before the Jubilee”, explains Giuseppe Triste, President of Fairy Tale Onlus. “I think the error is upstream: accessible services and roads must not be designed for the disabled (3.1 million, equal to 5.2% of the entire population) but for all people who have a motor difficulty. That is, the elderly, about 14 million people, and parents with strollers. Not to mention the tourists, many of whom are elderly ». To which are added the approximately 800,000 people who are injured every year with serious consequences that limit mobility temporarily or permanently. The audience of those who need to move and are not agile and snappy is then truly vast.
Good news
Some common virtuous, too, exist: “For example Lecco (here a guide to accessible tourism) or Trentoalso thanks to the contribution of the third sector associations “, assures Di June, of Peba:” In the last ten years we have been consulted more and more frequently in the regional councils and on 24 May the issue of accessibility was at the center of the conference at the House of Representatives “Cultural and architectural barriers. Break them down with a smile ”, with the screening of the film I run to youwith Pierfrancesco Favino and Miriam Leone“. In short, a little attention from the institutions can be seen. “We have a minister of disability, certain issues are finally being considered. But, in fact, it is a first step: an inclusive country certainly does not need a dedicated minister», Concludes the vice president Peba.
Valentina Tomirotti on top of the Monte Baldo cableway, one of the accessible places in the town of Malcesine (Verona), Orange Flag of the Touring Club. With her is Diego Passoni of Radio Deejay on the occasion of the initiative “Va dove il Touring “.
Tourism attentive to accessibility
It is also time for holidays for those who have to move in a wheelchair or have limited mobility. So here are some useful portals or apps.
Bookingability: for real-time booking of accommodation facilities suitable for disabled people and with special needs.
Airbnb: even by booking an accommodation on the famous site you can set the accessibility parameter to be sure not to find stairs at the entrance or bathrooms that make it impossible to use.
Google Maps it has the “accessible places” function which indicates all the places accessible in the world to consumers in a wheelchair (or with reduced mobility). Just go to the Maps settings, under accessibility and click on accessible places. All future research will highlight accessible places.
Superando.it: portal that deals with disabilities in the round, with a focus also on tourism and sport.
Disability Card: the European Disability Card (requested from INPS) is the document in passport format that allows people with disabilities to access goods, museums and services, public or private, free of charge or at special rates. Throughout Europe.
An app instead of a queue for a taxi
Awarded and financed by the Municipality of Milan, there is a startup (Mbility) which offers a those with a permanent or temporary disability the possibility to book one or more rides via the App, in compliance with different needs and with reduced waiting times. Activated in 2021 in Milan, it plans to extend the service to Rome, Turin and Genoa, and potentially everywhere (it is in crowdfunding on crowdfundme.it).
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