On Friday, March 11, the first accessible dock for gondolas will open in Venice, Italy.
The dock will be the first wheelchair-accessible landing place to allow people with disabilities to comfortably get on and off a gondola, according to a press release from nonprofit organization Gondolas4ALL, which launched the endeavor in 2012. The platform allows a person to board directly and without exiting his or her wheelchair.
Enrico Greifenberg and Allessandro Dalla Pieta, the organization’s founders, have wanted a permanent structure available to Italians and tourists with disabilities for more than 20 years. With the help of The Tourism Department of Veneto Region, the idea will now be a reality. Previously, wheelchair users would either need to be helped out of their wheelchairs or lifted in their wheelchairs to board a gondola.
“It is a real innovation for Venice,” Greifenberg says in the video below.
You can watch how the new platform operates here:
We need your help!To make this possible donate today! Per rendere possibile questo progetto dona ora a questo indirizzo:http://igg.me/at/gondolas4allGondolas Wheelchair Access Thanks for your donation!Grazie per la tua donazione! Posted by Gondolas4ALL on Wednesday, March 18, 2015

