One of Italy's Most Popular Tourist Attractions Will Finally Be Wheelchair Accessible

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:

  After Friday’s inauguration ceremony, visitors will be able to book reservations online, create a private profile, choose a path of interest and pick a day and time for their trips. For more information, visit Gondolas4ALL’s website and Facebook page. For an accessibility map of Venice, head here.