YERMASOYIA Municipality in Limassol has announced the launch of a campaign to improve disabled access within its borders. The move was made both to uphold the rights of disabled people, but also to tap into the disabled tourist market, particularly from Europe.
“Today we commit to make Yermasoyia Municipality the most hospitable town for disabled people,” said Andreas Gavrielides, Mayor of Yermasoyia at a press conference to announce the project’s launch.
Providing disabled access to all buildings, establishments and beaches within the municipality will be at the core of the campaign. The main objective is to create conditions for the ‘mainstreaming’ of disabled people, allowing them to have normal daily lives.
“Access is a basic human right. A country can be called barbaric not just when it deprives its citizens of justice, education and freedom, but also when it does not afford equal treatment to every group of citizens,” Gavrielides added.
The decision to make Yermasoyia disabled-friendly also stems from a realisation that due to longer life expectancies, the disabled population in Europe is growing, and so is the disabled tourist market. At present, establishments including restaurants, cafés and even hotels in Cyprus do not have disabled access, which deters disabled tourists from visiting the island.
“Last time I checked our town, I did not recall seeing car factories, agricultural units or fishing ports. Last time I checked, I saw luxury hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, and these places need tourists in order to operate,” Gavrielides said.
“Based on the above, as a Municipality we propose to make Yermasoyia the friendliest tourist municipality for disabled people,” he added.
“The disabled market in the EU produces approximately €8 billion per year,” added Demetris Lambrianides, President of the Cyprus Confederation of Disability Organisations.
The mobility programme’s implementation will be discussed at a conference organised by Yermasoyia Municipality titled ‘Disabled People and the State: Benefits for Tourism’, which will take place on November 29 at the Atlantica Miramare hotel in Yermasoyia at 9am. Conference attendants will include the Minister of Labour and Social Security Sotiroulla Charalambous, all Cypriot MEPs, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Commerce, the CTO, relevant house committees and other stakeholders.
Gavrielides said the municipality intended to exert pressure on the state to reform laws, giving more enforcement power to the local authorities in cases of non-compliance.
“When people park on pavements, we want to have the power to remove their cars and fine them €500 to return it. That will make people stop doing it. We also want to be able to force bars, restaurants and cafes to have full disabled access,” he said.
