Italy’s Beaches – Not Always User Friendly for the Disabled

We’ve made several friends over the last several weeks during our stay in RivaBella (check out the story in the AC Travel Archive), and one of our closest happens to be an Italian man named Franco and his wife Mirella. Frank is a seemingly happy-go-lucky kind of guy, but his plight (he is disabled and confined to a wheelchair) just happens to represent a problem that has – up until now – remained swept under the rug in the Puglia Region and no doubt other areas in Southern Italy.

The issue centers on beach access for the disabled. And I admit – it took my new friend Franco to make me aware of this issue.

RivaBella is as good a place as any to start. The area itself sits like a hidden oasis nestled between surf and forest. Surprisingly the beach itself has wheelchair ramps at various locations. “ButâÂ?¦” said Franco quite succinctly, “âÂ?¦how the hell am I supposed to get from my vehicle to the beach? I’m in a wheelchair, not a sports utility vehicleâÂ?¦” I quickly grasped Franco’s dilemma: manoeuvring from the street to beach meant winding through about 60 yards of pine trees and gently sloping hills and plenty of sand. Difficult on foot and loaded down with beach chairs and coolers. Even more of challenge when your mobility is limited.

Shortly after I had this discussion with Franco, the World Wildlife Federation of Puglia (www.Wwf.puglia) made headlines in most of the major newspapers when it proclaimed that Italy’s beaches “âÂ?¦catered more to nudists and canines that it does to the disabledâÂ?¦” (La Republica, 12 July). The Wwf’s beef had nothing to do with the austerity of beaches in Italy or in the Puglia Region specifically. But rather with beach access. Remarked Wwf spokesperson Andrea Ricciardi, “âÂ?¦The beaches are supposed to be for everyone. We do our part to protect the environment and raise awareness, but something like ramps for the disabled is a responsibility of the mayor and city council of the Puglia regionâÂ?¦”

I have to admit; this got me shaking my head and left me more than a little embarrassed. The truth is, I could not remember specific beaches that were user-friendly for the physically disabled. In fact, a web search turned up information on only two beaches with ramp access, while the same search did in fact reveal that 14 beaches had cordoned off areas for nude sunbathing.

I shared this information with my friend Franco and he seemed somewhat resigned to his fate, adding g, “âÂ?¦This is not America and over here beaches are the least of the problems facing disabled individuals like myself…” Franco’s wife commented that it’s only been “recently” that efforts have been made to make shopping malls, theatres, sports venues and attractions accessible to those with physical limitations. “âÂ?¦It’s a cultural thing to a large extent”, she said. “âÂ?¦the country just doesn’t want to jade its image with issues like this”.

What’s this mean to tourists with disabilities? More than anything it means individual’s need to do their homework. Major cities like Rome and Milan have managed to re-invent themselves over the years and have evolved with the passage of time. Smaller cities may be less-than-user-friendly. Do your research ahead of time to endure that every facet of your itinerary can accommodate your needs.

And that includes the beach.