The Mayor of Paralimni - Deryneia, Mr. Giorgos Nikolettos, had a meeting with the President of the Paraplegic Organization of Cyprus, Mr. Dimitris Lambrianidis, on Friday, August 2, 2024, on the beach front of Protaras.
During the meeting, ways to further improve the service for people with severe mobility disabilities were examined, while an inspection was made of the systems and means of service that the Municipality of Paralimni - Deryneia has already implemented on its beaches, such as the special Seatrac systems that have been installed and are working on eleven beaches of the Municipality through the Interreg VA program "Greece - Cyprus 2014-2020 "Mercury 2" - "Tourism Without Barriers for All" the amphibious wheelchairs (Floating Wheelchairs) as well as the special sunbeds and umbrellas available only for people with severe mobility impairments, people in wheelchairs and blind people.
The Municipality of Paralimni - Deryneia, recognizing the obstacles faced by people with severe mobility disabilities who cannot walk or move on the sand with a wheelchair, as part of its responsibility towards citizens with disabilities has taken care and installed wooden floors on which there are sunbeds and umbrellas and allow easy and safe access to these fellow citizens of ours.
The meeting was attended by the Municipal Secretary of the Municipality Ms. Gabriela Gavriil as well as the Beach Inspector Mr. Giorgos Oikonomou.
Regarding Seatracs and amphibious wheelchairs, they are available at the following beaches of the Municipality of Paralimni - Deryneia:- Protaras / Fig Tree Bay (Floating Wheelchair) - Louma / Golden Coast (Seatrac, Floating Wheelchair) - Faucet A΄ (Floating Wheelchair)- Faucet B΄ (Floating Wheelchair), – Faucet C΄ / Gianna Mari (Seatrac and Floating Wheelchair)- Agia Triada (Seatrac. Floating Wheelchair)- Byzakia / Cavo Maris (Seatrac, Floating Wheelchair)- Kappari (Floating Wheelchair)- Byzakia ( Seatrac, Floating Wheelchair) It is clarified that the Interreg VA program "Greece - Cyprus 2014-2020 "Mercury 2" - "Tourism Without Barriers for All", was implemented with the Main Beneficiary the Paraplegic Organization of Cyprus and the beneficiaries the Municipality of Paralimni and the Municipality of Syros - Ermoupoli and concerned the installation of special accessibility infrastructure on the beaches of the Municipality of Paralimni (Municipality of Paralimni - Deryneia) and the Municipality of Syros - Ermoupolis.
At the same time, in 2022 at the annual awards ceremony organized by DIAS Publishing House and CheckInCyprus, the Municipality of Paralimni (Paralimni - Deryneia Municipality) received an honorary award for the Best Accessible Beach for People with Physical Disabilities for Vrysi III Beach.
The Municipality of Paralimni - Deryneia, as a pioneering local authority that has invested in the development and creation of infrastructure and accessibility for people with severe mobility disabilities on its beaches, adopts the design for all philosophy and is committed to continuously upgrade its infrastructure with the aim of the best possible inclusion and equal service of persons with disabilities to the extent possible.