AbilBeach, a name that many of you will say little to and others will give goosebumps. Just as you feel goosebumps for a good initiative, for something moving that deserves our esteem. An initiative born in Salento, in Otranto, which deserves the compliments of the case. Abil Beach was born on 24 July 2021 and is an accessible free beach service that allows people with disabilities to experience the sea in complete freedom and tranquility, but above all independently. The initiative aims to provide assistance and support to people with disability and to fragile subjects, it tries to bring the beauty of the sea to life without obstacles. Among the services offered by Abilbeach, there are the following:
- reserved parking area
- booking service
- reserved accessible bathrooms
- electric charging point
- qualified assistance
- umbrella positions
- bathing equipment
- canoe experience.
The latter is a very popular experience because the canoe in particular is transparent and during the walk you can admire the beauty and immensity of the seabed. Here are some photos from last summer.
New objectives for Abilbeach: the interview
We interviewed exclusively, the councilor for welfare for the Municipality of Otranto, Christine DeBenedetto who worked hard to create a service that had a resonance at the regional level.
How did the idea of Abilbeach come about?
"It was born with the dream of guaranteeing the right to experience one's natural and cultural heritage in full autonomy, overcoming every obstacle. The Municipal Administration has paid great attention to this issue and will continue to do so. One of the main objectives of my mandate was that of accessibility. I have tried as much as possible to make the places in our cities usable. From tourist sites to beaches, I wanted to think of services that could make the disabled person truly autonomous."
Did the first year of the initiative have good results?
"In about a month we have had over 3 bookings. The cooperative "integration" of Lecce dreamed with me and we participated in a regional loan called "Pugliasocialein" which made it possible to equip one of the most beautiful stretches of our coast with adequate means for bathing people with disabilities. It was a dream that came true for all those who worked on it and for those who use it. On the beach there are Social Health Operators and educators, as well as important vehicles: job chairs, transparent canoe, all for free. "
Do you have new future goals to grow the project?
"For next year we want to grow and we are working on really important new projects. We are working to allow disabled tourists, but also to the children of our country and neighboring countries with disabilities to take a panoramic tour of our country. We want to bring our city to life at 360 degrees. We want to make the bathroom as independent as possible even for people with visual impairments. With the Harbor Master's Office we are working to create a walkway for the disabled in the water, where they can enter the water and enjoy a bath in total carefree. We are doing everything we can to remove the obstacles. Accessibility is everyone's good. "
