Cyprus has beautiful beaches. Paralimni has some of them. In fact, it can now accommodate people with reduced mobility, who often do not have the opportunity to enjoy the sea. Avros Siathas is paraplegic, due to an occupational accident.
It uses an application to find beaches that can access water: "__We need these routes because it is not easy to move on the sand. "You can't move on the sand in a wheelchair."
Thanks to the European project Hermes II, sanitary and fitness areas were created and a special ramp with a wheelchair that moves on rails was installed, which is controlled by the user with a remote control. This allows him access to the sea without any assistance.
The HERMES II program makes the beaches of Cyprus accessible to people with disabilities and mobility problems
The change is huge: "If you do not have this equipment or these machines, you need the help of others to get into the water. They have to transport you. Some of us do not want others to help us or we do not like to ask for help. "Being able to use this equipment on your own makes you feel free and independent again," points out Mr. Siathas.
Five beaches in Cyprus and two in Syros now have this infrastructure, thanks to the European program. The total budget is less than 600.000 euros. 84,9% of this money was provided by the European Cohesion Policy. In addition to the special ramps and toilets, the program offered free 24 wheelchairs for sand and outdoor activities and 7 seatracs, as the special amphibious wheelchairs are called. They are made of stainless steel to withstand the wet and salty environment. The seatrac can be assembled and disassembled in a few hours and moves thanks to the energy it receives from a solar panel:
"The solar panel is the ideal solution, because it is first of all ecological: it has no impact on the environment. Secondly, we must use the sun so that we do not depend on the electricity network. You do not want to have no electricity, when someone with a wheelchair wants to enter the sea and the machine stops, due to a power outage "explains Ignatios Fotiou, CEO of Tobea.
The other challenge of the project was to convince the municipalities that it is worth investing in these facilities for people with reduced mobility. George Economou is responsible for the beaches of Paralimni. He explains the benefits of installing this equipment: “The installation of these systems has attracted people not only from Cyprus, but also from abroad. Families with mobility problems have become known and are coming. Our area is advertised for this service that we provide and it has attracted people for this issue ".
On average, 15 people with mobility problems use this infrastructure daily on the beaches of Paralimni.
Source: euronews.gr