Adventures and upheavals during holiday they are common, especially when the traveler has mobility problems or is visually impaired. Vessels without seats and toilets A and Ahard-to-reach beaches, hotels with stairs can turn the days of a disabled person’s summer vacation into everyday Calvary.

“During my stay on the islands, I rarely met people in wheelchairs, and the explanation for this was right before our eyes: there was almost no infrastructure,” Mr. Stefanos Nollas reports to “K”.president of the organizationBarren line Fertile“.

He himself, having “plowed” the Aegean Sea over the past 12 years under the programs of the organization, decided during the pandemic to implement an innovative idea: creating a platform and application with instructions and information on accessibility for the Greek islands. .

The idea was picked up from the very beginning by Microsoft Greece, which is the founding sponsor of Extra Milers. The barren fertile line recording group conducts field research in collaboration with municipalities and local communities, collecting the necessary information, which is integrated into the platform by the ATCOM technology company team.

However, the green light for expanding the application is given by the members of LARA – Greek School of Guide Dogs for the Blind and PERPATO – Association of People with Mobility Problems and Friends, who have taken on the role of scientific partner. In other words, the potential beneficiaries have the last word, who check whether the claimed places are really suitable for people with disabilities.

“Extra miles“, which is under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, was tested in the summer of 2020 on three islands, which eventually became eight: Syros, Mykonos, Koufonisia, Patmos, Chios, Rhodes, Skiathos and Lefkada. Users who “downloaded” it, about 1000 .Information in four languages ​​(Greek, English, French, German) regarding entertainment, beaches, museums, hotels, catering and ports.

“We have been approached by associations of the disabled as well as local government representatives to include Kythnos, Santorini and Alonissos in the network while we are discussing a similar mapping of Piraeus, in order to have clear instructions for accessing the port, among other things,” explains Mr. Mr Knollas. Its aim is to “ensure everyone an equal right to tourism and to enjoy the unique beauties of the Greek islands”. According to him, “advertising disabled-friendly islands puts indirect pressure on those who should not improve their infrastructure.”

The benefits will be multiple, both for local residents and visitors with permanent or temporary disabilities, and for the local community and economy. “Greece, which attracts so many travelers from all over the world, cannot be unattainable,” concludes Mr. Nollas, who, along with his team, was awarded the Tourism and Hellenic Responsible Business Awards for the project.