Accessible sea and a summer without barriers. These are the objectives pursued by Tourabilitythe new project that will involve 10 beaches in Sicily Catania (Plaia) And Palermo (Mondello) and which aims to enhance accessible tourism, equipping the Sicilian coasts to make them inclusive. The Tourability project, financed by the Sicilian Region, has included a selection by tender of 10 locations which – in addition to having reserved parking and the availability of toilets equipped according to current legislation for people with disabilities – will be optimized with new anti-slip walkways in self-claved pine wood, wheelchairs for access to the “sand and street” sea, umbrellas, functional deckchairs, rescue kits necessary to make summer days more fun, comfortable and safe even for people with disabilities.
The beaches selected by the Tourability project are, along the Plaia Etnea, the Lido Americathe Don Bosco ColonyThe Lido le PalmeThe Lido Polifemo and the Lido Sablè Sale; on the Mondello coast, in Palermo, the Lido Sirenetta, Lido Acqua Marinai two shores of the Navel of the World, Mondello MIA.
During the meeting – which was held in recent days – in Catania the partners and representatives of the Etna beaches were involved. Furthermore, it was made official that 30 internships for disabled children will be implemented: at the end of the training course, the latter will be employed in the beach establishments in the 2024 season. «The selection of participants in the internships – specified Francesco Cauchi, advisor of the Tourability project – will be managed by the Cpia (Provincial Center for Adult Education) of Catania which, thanks to a matching between the specific needs of the tourist locations and the profiles of the candidates , will build new work experience opportunities for young people with disabilities in the beaches benefiting from the Project”.
Meetings with the beneficiary beaches also began in Palermo – Wednesday 15 May. Agostino Sella and Luigi Bologna, from Don Bosco 2000, leader of the Tourability project, met Antonio Gristina, president of the Mondello Immobiliare Italo Belga SAP real estate company which manages the beaches on the Mondello coast, including the beneficiaries Sirenetta and Acqua Marina beaches. Also present at the meeting was operations coordinator Masetta Di Lorenzo. Next week the Don Bosco 2000 team together with the project advisor Francesco Cauchi will continue the comparison activities on the Palermo coast with other beaches benefiting from the project. «We are proceeding with the planned activities in order to ensure that the bathing season can start in the best possible way. The work on the beach in the bathing establishments has already begun – stated the president Agostino Sella – and will be fundamental to making the structures more accessible and usable also for people with physical and motor disabilities».
