Dear friends, this December 3rd and the related International Day of Persons with Disabilities have also passed, and so we feel like looking back a little at our past experiences to seek confirmation or denial of the positive situations we have encountered.
An example? The 37th edition of the Venice Marathon was held on 22 October 2023, a highly prestigious international race on the occasion of which a significant number of walkways are set up useful for runners to cross the many bridges present in the last stretch of the race; the walkways, as our Venetian friends will confirm, are then left installed for most of the year, available to people with motion disabilities and parents with children in strollers.
And certainly in October 2014, when we participated in one of the most beautiful gatherings of the Strabordo Association, the walkways in Venice were there and they allowed us to go around and visit the beautiful lagoon city in a fairly exhaustive way.
But let's start from the beginning: the gathering was held in a hotel in Sottomarina, from which we left on the first day on a boat reserved for us towards Venice. On the second day we visited Chioggia and, taking the boat back, we reached and visited the island of Pellestrina. Once the meeting was over, the two of us returned to Venice by car and explored it using public transport.
A look at the images, starting with the navigation towards Venice:
And here, once disembarked, the visit to Venice begins:
At the Arsenal:
And we take the boat back towards Sottomarina:
The day after at Chioggia:
And after a short navigation here we are on the island of Pellestrina:
And the next day, with the rain and fog, we return to Venice alone, reaching San Marco by public boat, wandering around the streets as much as possible and visiting the Doge's Palace:
In the courtyard of the Doge's Palace:
And so ends the story of our three days in Venice in October 2014; the city is certainly not easy for us, but the installation of the walkways, even if aimed at carrying out the marathon, demonstrates that when problems are faced with the right perspective, results are obtained. We would like to know if in these nine years the situation has evolved in the direction of improving the usability of Venice for disabled people, and perhaps you can tell us about this. See you soon!