Parking difficulties for persons with disability (1)

Access to beaches can be quite a problem for the relatives and carers of disabled persons who have difficulty in walking, especially those using wheelchairs. Some persons in wheelchairs may be able to walk short distances with help and swimming is one of the best exercises for overall well-being.

On a recent visit to Ghadira Bay, the single reserved parking bay for disabled persons (Blue Sticker) could not be found. The number of such parking bays should be in line with the Access for All Design Guidelines which require four reserved parking spaces for areas with 76-100 parking spaces and five for areas with 101 to 150. These should be immediately made available with an adequate number sited just near the ramp leading to the beach and with the proper signs affixed on the pavement to minimise abuses.

Similarly at Golden Bay, there is just one reserved parking bay for all disabled persons in Malta who wish to visit, when the area caters for the parking of over 100 vehicles. This is well below the stipulated number and is leading to extra hardship considering that the road area consists of a slope.

According to the Beaches and Swimming Pools section of the Access for All Design Guidelines issued by the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, beaches should be provided with paths that can easily be used by persons using a wheelchair and facilities should be provided that allow persons with a disability, particularly wheelchair users, safe and easy access to the water.

Access to the waterline of all public beaches ought to be provided at the earliest. A solution could be the use of wooden platforms from the beach entrance ramp to the waterline similar to that at Golden Bay installed from the steps of the hotel restaurant.

Audits of the beaches in Malta need to be done by the responsible authorities at the very earliest to ensure their compliance with the above mentioned guidelines. This would ensure equal opportunities for all at the very earliest.

It is useless to have rights on paper when in practice these are not fully implemented. This is also part of Branding Malta - providing the proper facilities for tourists with special needs.