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Tag: architectural barriers

Disabilities and planes: how to fly without barriers

Travelling can seem extremely complicated for people with disabilities or mobility problems, especially when using means of public transport. Thanks to the European Guidelines and Regulations designed to ensure that the rights of all passengers are respected, planes are perhaps some of the most accessible means of transport.

In fact, airlines offer flights that are safe and comfortable for all passengers by researching special solutions and services for people with permanent and temporary disabilities.

Accessibility at the airport

Certain Italian airports, such as Rome FiumicinoTurin and Milan Malpensa, feature “Sale Amiche” (Friendly Rooms), where people with disabilities can obtain information and assistance. In addition to televisions, nurseries, and children’s toys, these rooms also contain telephones for the deaflavatories free of architectural barriersnewspapers and magazines in Braille, and special armchairs for people with disabilities. People with disabilities and their assistants can contact the check-in desks at all Italian airports for any information or necessity.

Safe gates

Airlines cannot deny boarding for reasons associated with disabilities or mobility problems.

Passengers with disabilities also have the right to check or carry on two mobility devices free of charge.

A wheelchair is available on board to facilitate the movements of disabled passengers, and aisle seats with folding armrests are reserved for people with disabilities.

In many cases, guide dogs are even permitted in the cabin, provided that they are muzzled and on a leash, otherwise they can travel in a special kennel in the baggage compartment.

Know before you go

In order to avoid unpleasant mishaps at the airport, it is recommended to ask the airline beforehand about the procedures and time frames necessary for the various communications and requests. According to the European guidelines, a passenger is required to notify the airline of any special requirements he/she may have at least 48 hours prior to departure, so that the airline can arrange the necessary assistance.

Be sure to carefully read your selected airline’s terms and conditions, as this will allow you to enjoy your air travel experience in complete comfort and with the utmost peace of mind, without any problems or inconveniences.

Co-housing: a solution for everyone

Co-housing, or rather the choice to live together with other families, and to share not only your living environments, but also your free time, has become increasingly popular in recent years, even in Italy.

Many families choose to jointly build a common housing complex, which, in addition to the individual apartments, also contains various common areas, like laundry rooms, play rooms for children, gardens, libraries, and often even a kitchen and dining area for shared meals.

This isn’t just a way to save money by sharing expenses, but it also allows for numerous social benefits to be obtained.

In fact, co-housing allows people to avoid being alone, and can be an ideal housing solution for the elderly, who, while still retaining their own private quarters, have various opportunities to enjoy the companionship of other families, and can make themselves useful, for example, by helping them out with small domestic or maintenance tasks, or can even serve as adoptive grandparents for their children, who might need to be looked after while their parents are busy.

Guaranteed accessibility

One important aspect for residential co-housing complexes is the elimination of architectural barriers, in order to ensure that there are no limitations for the inhabitants or any guests.

An excellent solution in this regard is to install a lift, which ensures greater home comfort for everyone, above all for people with disabilities, the elderly, and mothers with small children strollers.

Furthermore, the current electric lifts, such as the EcoVimec, offer the eco-compatibility characteristics required for co-housing structures. In fact, the sharing of rooms and resources naturally leads to behavioural and attitude changes that favour energy savings and the eco-sustainability of the community itself, such as ethical purchasing groups, or car sharing, for example.

Co-housing is an important life choice that offers countless advantages!

A Venice accessible to everyone: is it even possible?

A grandiose work of art, the city of Venice, has recently found itself embroiled in controversy on the Internet. The complaint of a Venetian girl has ignited a controversy about the inability to get around and live in Venice due to the numerous architectural barriers, thus mobilising the likes of Bernardo Bertolucci, and even Mayor Orsini himself. After recalling the recent interventions carried out to facilitate the mobility of people with disabilities in Venice, the city’s mayor nevertheless declared that no historical city is entirely accessible to the disabled.

And yet the fact that it took the web reporter, armed with crutches and a wheelchair, more than three and a quarter hours to go from the train station to St. Mark’s Square makes you wonder. The thirteen bridges that separate these two points of the city have transformed themselves from splendid attractions into difficult obstacles. How can one admire the architecture of Ponte Calatrava or Ponte della Paglia when they have become unscalable walls for so many people?

Will the world’s most beautiful city, which arose from the fusion of Venetian, Byzantine, and Gothic art, ever be accessible to everyone? We’re not just talking about tourists, but also hundreds of Venetians with disabilities or elderly people with mobility issues. We like to think that one day it will be. The market of overcoming architectural barriers is always ready to offer both vertical and horizontal solutions, and Vimec will certainly do its part to offer solutions made it to measure, thus ensuring the mobility of people with disabilities in complete safety and comfort. The Venetian building code has already changed, and now even permits the installation of outdoor lifts on historic buildings. These will allow people to get out of the house and move about more freely. Finally, with projects like “”Gondolas without barriers””, which will provide people in wheelchairs with direct access to gondolas, the city of canals will gradually become increasingly accessible.

The future looks promising.

https://youtu.be/3qqFtMGtAbw

A new design for Vimec’s S10 platform lift

Ideal for ensuring independence and freedom of movement for people with mobility issues in both public and private buildings, the S10 platform lift is perfect for overcoming height gaps of up to 3 metres.

The S10 platform lift is capable of overcoming height gaps ranging from 1.1m to 2.99m. Useful for people with disabilities confined to wheelchairs, as well as for the entire family.

Suitable for any environment

The S10 platform lift adapts perfectly to the functional and aesthetic requirements of any environment thanks to its meticulous design and various customisation possibilities. The S10 is finished in painted steel (RAL 7040), and can be furnished with a stainless steel structure upon request, complete with charcoal coloured polycarbonate bumpers to protect the edges and the floor gate.

Safe and comfortable

The S10 model is designed to ensure maximum safety for the entire family (both for people who want to bring greater value to their homes, as well as for the elderly and people with disabilities), and features the following safety systems:

  • access bar or gate
  • shaft protection with bellows
  • double bottom with pressure sensitive edges to prevent any possibility of crushing.

Thanks to its soft start/stop system, the motor (equipped with inverter) renders the unit’s functionality particularly smooth.

Reduced installation times

The platform lift comes furnished preassembled, and allows the system to be installed either indoors (inside a shop or office building, to connect two floors) or outdoors (on the façade of a private home or condominium, in order to provide access to a balcony from the ground floor).

In addition to being quick, safe, and easy to use, the S10 does not require any structural interventions.

Vimec and its dealers: teamwork makes all the difference!

There are 84 days left until the start of the 2014 Olympics and Para Olympics in Sochi, and the preparation work for the participating athletes and around the Olympic village is intensifying.

As previously reported, Vimec is also engaged in this process, as it is reinforcing its commitment to ensuring accessibility and freedom of movement throughout Sochi with the installation of 370 Vimec systems.

In order to share our experience in the field with our partners, we are developing a dedicated website aimed at reinforcing our partnerships with our dealers around the world.

The project is currently in progress, and the website’s publication will be announced in the near future.

Vimec’s relationships with its dealers are based on a successful teamwork model, which the company intends to reinforce by encouraging the exchange of information and experiences.

The range of Vimec homelifts has been enriched with new featuresarch

A Vimec homelift gives greater value to the living environment, and for solutions in particularly narrow spaces, three-leaf telescopic doors are now available.

This possibility allows the Vimec homelift to be used with maximum ease, with a greater door span for improved accessibility, all without compromising the available space in the hallways or rooms.

Among the various customisation possibilities available for Vimec homelifts, the three-leaf door ensures a more prestigious and cutting-edge system for the home.

Furthermore, Vimec home lifts are always made to measure in order to guarantee maximum safety for the entire family (both for people in search of greater comfort, as well as for the elderly and people with disabilities), not to mention reliabilitycomfort and elegance, all in perfect harmony with the colours and finishes of the home itself.

Vimec has sales consultants in every Italian province, who are always available to recommend the ideal solutions to meet your home mobility needs.

Our homelifts: perfect for every requirement

Vimec offers a wide range of homelifts perfect for every type of home renovation or remodelling project.

Thanks to the custom-designed support structure, they can even be installed in the absence of masonry shafts, and on any type of building, and bring added value to the home with a customised, reliable, and extremely convenient solution.

Thanks to their high levels of customisationreliability and comfort, our lifts bring added value to the home by facilitating the mobility not only of those with mobility problems, but anyone who accesses the areas that can normally only be reached via flights of stairs.

The support structures for Vimec’s homelifts are made to last over time; they’re sturdy and robust, have no exterior welds, and are made from round hollow section in order to ensure an aesthetic appearance that looks like an integral part of the original structure and goes well with any kind of building.

Every structure designed, manufactured, and installed boasts special characteristics:

  • wide range of finishes
  • excellent resistance to weathering
  • compact size
  • suitable for both indoor and outdoor installation.

Visit the gallery to discover all the details of our homelifts.

Chair stairlift for straight staircases

You’ll never have any more problems overcoming a straight flight of stairs inside or outside your home.

The Ischia model chair stairlift provides for ease and freedom of movement between the various floors of the home; in fact, this model is designed to overcome a straight flight of stairs, and can be quickly and easily installed.

Three characteristics render our Ischia model chair stairlift entirely unique:

  1. Rapid availability after the order: in fact, straight staircases to not require any particular interventions, which would extend the delivery and installation times.
  2. Collapsible guide rail: the chair stairlift’s guide rail can be modified so that the last extremity of the guide rail itself is able to be collapsed, thus further reducing its encumbrance while the chair is not in use, and allowing any doors that may be in the vicinity of the staircase to be closed, for example.
  3. Sliding guide rail: the chair’s guide rail slides on a track, the length of which is decided based on the requirements and the available space.

The Ischia chair stairlift is also equipped with all the comforts and accessories necessary to ensure maximum safety and ease of use on the part of the user:

  • the joystick on the armrest renders the chair stairlift particularly easy to use;
  • the practical floor call remote control allows the chair to be called to the desired floor in the case of multiple users;
  • the lever for rotating the seat allows the user to exit the chair quickly and easily upon reaching the destination floor;
  • the height of the armrests and the seat can be adjusted based on the user’s needs;
  • the Ischia model chair stairlift does not require any structural interventions for installation;
  • an outdoor version is also available, which is made from particularly weather-resistant materials.

Accessible condominiums, with the V65 and V64 platform stairlifts

Accessibility at condominiums is often difficult due to the presence of staircases or the absence of lifts in order to allow people with disabilities to reach the building’s various apartments.

It is often necessary to overcome several outdoor steps in order to reach the entry, and people with disabilities are often unable to do this independently and without considerable difficulty. In some cases, the structure of the condominium itself precludes the possibility of installing a lift in order to reach the various floors of the building.

Vimec’s platform stairlift’s are specially designed to resolve every type of accessibility problem in all kinds of condominiums, whether for accessing the building’s entrance or overcoming the flights of stairs between the various floors.

The two different models available are designed to be installed on various types of staircases: the V64 is suitable for straight staircases, while the V65 is equipped with a curved guide rail.

Both models have characteristics and features that make them perfect for any type of installation:

  • they can be installed both indoors and outdoors, and in the latter case they come complete with a weatherproof tarp;
  • their compact size and various wall or step anchoring possibilities render them suitable for any type of environment, without diminishing its style or elegance;
  • they come with removable keys in order to ensure that they will only be used by authorised individuals in possession of an activation key, thus minimising the risk of damage due to vandalism or improper use;
  • the built-in panel makes the stairlift simple and practical to use: no training is required, and it can even be used by guests with no need for the owner’s assistance.

Vimec homelifts: comfort and accessibility in various environments

Vimec offers a wide range of homelifts, which represent ideal solutions for all kinds of remodelling or renovation projects, whether for private homescondominiums or public places.

All Vimec’s homelift models have characteristics and features capable of meeting any type of requirement:

  • Versatility: they can be installed either indoors or outdoors, even in the absence of a masonry shaft; thanks to the custom-designed support structure. Installation is fast, and does not require any structural interventions.
  • Comfort: they’re quiet and discreet, and can be used safely and conveniently thanks to their advanced technical features.
  • Flexibility: for installations in particularly tight spaces, solutions with telescopic cabin doors and floor doors are available: safe, lightweight, and quiet.
  • Exclusivity: exclusive design and functionality, thanks to the use of custom and personalised solutions that allow the lift to be installed in perfect harmony with its environment.

The EcoVimec and Easy Move homelifts are perfect combinations of technology and design.

The EcoVimec model is an electricenvironmentally-friendly, and high-tech homelift that offers innovative solutions for the entire market. Thanks to its reduced energy consumption and wide range of customisation possibilities, customers can create truly exclusive and customised solutions. View the product datasheet.

The Easy Move model is a durable hydraulic lift that’s quick to install and guarantees maximum safety. View the product datasheet.

Both solutions boast over fifty thousand installations worldwide in various environments, like universities, city halls, swimming pools, theatres, undergrounds, and private homes.

Vimec has consultants in every Italian province to provide suggestions and indications regarding the technical and fiscal aspects of our products.

Visit the gallery to discover all the characteristics of our homelifts and their various installation possibilities.

Vimec homelifts: comfort and elegance

Vimec homelifts are the ideal solution for increasing the value of your home and rendering it comfortable and fully accessible, on all the floors of the building.

Every Vimec solution is a perfect combination of technology, elegance, and comfort.

Elegance and Style…

Thanks to the versatility of every Vimec solution, it is possible to increase the comfort of your home without compromising its style.

The possibility of customising the cabin, doors, flooring, and lighting, by choosing from a vast range of coloursmaterials (wood, glass, and stainless steel) and configurations, will allow you to maintain a style that’s consistent with your home, while at the same time increasing its prestige.

Home Comfort…

Vimec homelifts allow the upper levels of your home to be easily accessed in a convenient and entirely independent manner, while at the same time facilitating daily activities, like moving heavy objects or carrying groceries. Their advanced technology ensures quiet functionality and maximum ease of use.

Exclusivity…

Thanks to the modularity of their components, the homelifts can be installed in any environmentwhether indoors or outdoors.

They’re available with either masonry shafts or shafts made of metallic structures, with various models of available doors, thus ensuring solutions that are perfectly suited to their installation environments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guarda la gallery per scoprire alcuni particolari degli ascensori per la casa Vimec.

The stairclimber best suited to your needs

Vimec has been designing, manufacturing, and installing custom solutions for individuals since 1982. Vimec has the right product for every movement and transport requirement.

Here we’ll be talking about mobile stairclimbers, and we’ll help you choose the right product based on the characteristics of the home in which it will be installed and utilised.

Straight staircase, rectangular landings: discover the T09-Roby

The Roby model is the tracked mobile stairclimber that ranks first in terms of both comfort and safety.

Designed and built to overcome straight staircases and staircases with square or rectangular landings,it allows the operator to transport the wheelchair passenger in complete safety.

There’s no risk of damaging the stairs thanks to the special characteristics of the tracks, which ensure excellent traction without leaving any marks. The Roby model’s high quality is ensured by the following characteristics: a smooth ride on the stairs, outstanding ergonomics and ease of use while moving on flat surfaces, and excellent accessibility and sturdiness.

The Roby model guarantees an autonomy of 23 flights of stairs. The safety system ensures that the battery’s charge level will never drop below 8-10%.

Narrow staircase, small landings: The T10-Scalacombi is right for you

The Scalacombi model is a wheeled mobile stairclimber with a safe and practical design for people who have difficulty climbing stairs.

With the assistance of an operator, the Scalacombi model can be used to ascend and descend staircases in complete safety.

Ideal for considerably narrow staircases (min. 550 mm) with small landings (min. 80 cm) and/or with fan-shaped steps, the Scalacombi model is capable of overcoming slopes of up to 55°.

The safety and reliability features allow the assistant to operate the unit effortlessly, and allow the passenger to overcome the staircase in complete comfort, in both directions.

The unit’s patented transmission with softstep function allows the unit to ascend and descend each individual step in an extraordinarily gentle manner.

Vimec high quality at your service

All the characteristics of Vimec’s mobile stairclimbers are designed to meet the needs of both the passenger and the operator, thus ensuring effortless transport in maximum comfort.

Don’t hesitate to contact us to find out more about products: the Vimec consultants will be happy to help you find the solution best suited to your needs, with a free on-site inspection and price quote.

Living in harmony with nature

When we think of a home made from wood and stone, we often imagination a classic mountain cabin. In and of itself, this association of ideas is not incorrect: in fact, the idea of the mountains conjures up an image of contact with nature.

In this sense, the use of these materials outside of the mountain context represents a return to the basics, and to a more natural dimension.

Our escape from the chaos of the city also takes place within our homes. Modern man is in search of new aesthetic and environmental balances, and finds them using ancient materials with a modern twist.

Advantages and disadvantages of wood

Nowadays, one can design and build a house made entirely of wood.

This material offers several major advantages:

  • It’s earthquake-proof, thanks to its elasticity and lightness.
  • It has a good resistance to fire: this might seem counter-intuitive, but the fact of the matter is that wood burns slowly, and takes a long time to lose its load bearing capacity.
  • It’s sustainable: if collected in a controlled manner, it’s renewable and will be depleted. It’s recyclable and minimises pollution. It’s also an excellent thermal insulator.
  • It’s inexpensive: the construction of a wood house involves extensive use of prefabricated components, thus making it easy to control production costs.

However, wood also has several disadvantages:

  • The design of the house is strictly binding, and it’s difficult to make last-minute changes during construction, or to do any subsequent remodelling.
  • Periodic maintenance is required in order to prevent damage caused by moisture and other deteriorating agents.

The types of stone used in the various rooms

Every type of stone has different characteristics: let’s discover the construction uses of some of Italy’s most popular types of stone!

  • Tuff: this is the most widely used type of stone, both in its raw form, for a more rustic effect, as well as in its polished form.
  • Basalt: this is the material of choice in the field of sustainable building. It’s a very inexpensive type of stone, since it’s quite common. It’s excellent for both indoors and outdoors.
  • Marble: this material is highly prized, and is therefore rather expensive. Due to these characteristics, it’s mainly used for cladding and flooring.

Cork, wool, stone, and wood for energy savings

Did you know that these materials, in addition to being natural and eco-sustainable, also offer benefits in terms of energy savings?

Cork and sheep’s wool are materials with excellent insulating properties. When combined with natural stone walls and ceilings with wooden beams, they help to insulate your home to perfection.

With solar and photovoltaic panels installed on the roof for hot water and electricity production, one can obtain a perfectly self-sufficient home in terms of energy, with energy dispersion factor of zero.

Living in harmony with nature

Wood and stone have always been used as structural elements within buildings.

As we have seen, wood is no longer considered a “poor” material nowadays: it has become one of the main elements used in the field of natural and sustainable architecture.

Stone is also back in vogue: thanks to innovative cutting and processing techniques, stone is often used nowadays inside modern homes. It can be found in its natural form, on the walls. It can be found in processed and polished forms as cladding and flooring. It can even be found in the form of innovative and designer furnishing accessories.

Accessible Tourism

We all know the meaning of the word “trip”: we like to associate it with positive feelingsfreedomdiscoveryexploration and relaxation.

However, travelling isn’t always that easy for everyone.

There are entire categories of people with more or less evident limitations for whom travel is not so straightforward: these include the blind, the visually impaired, the hard of hearing, the deaf, people with mental disabilities, and people in wheelchairs, as well as the elderly. Even those with “simple” dietary intolerances can have difficulties!

We like the definition of “accessible tourism” proposed by the “First White paper on Tourism for Everyone in Italy”: The term “Accessible Tourism” refers to the combination of services and structures that allow “people with special needs” to enjoy vacation and leisure activities in a gratifying way, without any obstacles or difficulties, and therefore under conditions of complete safetyautonomy, and comfort.

Awareness in Italy

In comparison to other European countries, Italy is not exactly at the forefront in terms of accessible tourism.

The main limitations are linked to the numerous architectural barriers.

One explanation for their presence lies in the fact that Italian cities often have ancient origins: the narrow streets, historic buildings, and bridges were designed and built centuries ago, when there was no awareness of this problem. These historic buildings are subject to conservation constraints, which sometimes make it difficult to carry out  restoration work  that takes the needs of people with various types of disabilities into account.

Awareness is on the rise, however, and things are increasingly beginning to move in the direction of accessible tourism. Several examples are provided below:

  • Buses: major Italian cities are upgrading their fleets of buses with models equipped with platforms for allowing access to passengers in wheelchairs.
  • Railway stations: dedicated personnel are present at certain Large Railway Stations identified by Ferrovie dello Stato in order to assist people with various types of disabilities.
  • Trains: the High Speed trains and new regional trains that have recently become operational are equipped with wheelchair platforms.
  • Urban roadssidewalks with tactile pathways for the visually impaired are becoming increasingly common throughout Italy. An increasing number of pedestrian traffic lights are equipped with audible signalling devices.

Small measures for rendering places accessible

As we have seen, the public sector is taking its first steps to promote unfettered access throughout the country, thus reducing the existing difficulties.

However, there are many small steps to be taken in the private sector as well. Several small measures that can be taken to improve the travel experience in general are listed below:

  • For Hotels
    • Install non-slip flooring
    • Eliminate the doorsteps for accessing rooms or balconies
    • Provide ample free room for the movement of wheelchairs

  • For restaurant
    • Use different kitchen utensils for meat and fish
    • Clearly indicate the allergens present in the menu items
  • For public places
    • Install inclined platforms next to the stairs for accessing the various rooms
    • Increase the use of descriptive texts in Braille
    • Render guides available who are fluent in sign language

Never give up

The goal of accessible tourism is a major challenge for the future, one in which the various actors must work together to guarantee an essential right that’s often taken for granted:

Enjoy vacation and leisure activities in a gratifying way, without any obstacles or difficulties, and therefore under conditions of complete safety, autonomy, and comfort.

The determination of people with disabilities should serve as an example for everyone to seek out solutions to their needs. Never give up!

Swimming pools are for everyone

The law protects the right of all people with mild or permanent disabilities to engage in sports activities.

In fact, Italian Ministerial Decree no. 236/89 requires all areas intended for sports activities to be accessible to people with disabilities. The buildings and their individual areas must have entrances suitable for allowing access by people with reduced mobility or sensory disabilities.

In addition to ensuring accessibility, is also necessary to guarantee the possibility of using all the areas and equipment.

A significant amount of design headroom is provided in order to ensure perfect accessibility to the sports facilities, with the exception of a few binding elements: e.g. for the design or renovation of public buildings in general, at least one lavatory for the disabled must be included on each floor.

How to make a swimming pool accessible

When designing or renovating a swimming pool, it is necessary to ensure adequate accessibility for:

  • Car parks
  • Main entrances
  • Horizontal and vertical pathways
  • Lavatories and changing rooms
  • Pool entries

For blind or visually impaired individuals, it is necessary to provide a tactile pathway in relief connecting the various areas of the facility.

For people in wheelchairs, any minor height gaps must be eliminated using ramps with handrails. In the case of major height gaps, lifts or platforms must be installed.

The installation of handrails and non-slip flooring in general will serve to ensure greater safety for all.

In order to access the pools, individuals must have the possibility of using stairs, ramps or lifts, depending on the severity of their disabilities. Ramps and stairs must always have handrails.

All corners and edges must be rounded.

It is recommended for steps and ramps to be in contrasting colours, in order to ensure greater visibility for the visually impaired. The lanes in the pool should be separated by ropes.

The benefits of aquatic sports activities

Swimming and aquatic rehabilitation activities are generally recommended to people with disabilities by physicians.

Aquatic sports activities offer several major advantages for people with physical limitations: thanks to the extra support provided by the water, less weight needs to be borne by compromised body parts, and this allows for greater freedom of movement. A therapist, however, must always be present in order to assist of the individual.

The benefits associated with these types of activities are listed below:

  • Reduced pain
  • Greater range of movement
  • Improved posture

Anyone can get involved in sports: the example of the Paralympic athletes

There is an increasing amount of awareness of sports for people with disabilities.

The Paralympic Games have been held since 1960, and are attracting an increasing number of spectators each time around. The games provide a venue for athletes with varying degrees of physical disabilities to compete in every sport.

Swimming has always been part of the Paralympic Games. The athletes are divided into categories based on their type of disability, which can also be multiple.

The competitors include athletes missing one or more limbs, athletes suffering from paralysis, and athletes with vision problems: nobody is precluded from participating in competitive sports activities!

Extreme sports for the disabled

There is an increasing amount of awareness of sports for people with disabilities. This is in part to help regain limb mobility in the case of temporary disabilities, as well as to simply stay in shape.

Many people also dedicate themselves to more intense sports activities, such as Paralympic athletes: nobody is precluded from participating in competitive sports activities!

Few people realise that many people with disabilities love to engage in extreme sports.

From the “classics”…

Rugby is a perfect example of a “classic” extreme sport. There is a strict set of rules for wheelchair rugby: the wheelchairs must be manual; the athletes mustn’t touch one another, but the wheelchairs are free to make contact; notably, the teams, consisting of four athletes each, can be mixed.

Another classic yet physically demanding sport is skiing. Skiing enthusiasts with lower limb disabilities usually engage in this sport using custom “monoski” devices. One notable testimonial for this sport is provided by race car driver Alex Zanardi.

After the tragic accident in which he lost his legs, this remarkable athlete continues to engage in numerous physically demanding sports: in addition to having returned to race car driving, he has also become a Paralympic champion in the sport of handbiking, a type of cycling where the vehicle is powered by the arms rather than the legs.

… to actual extreme sports!

For disabled people who love the mountains, there’s the possibility of doing actual rockclimbing. Thanks to the use of specially adapted wheelchairs and the accompaniment of qualified personnel, those who have lost the use of their legs can still experience the thrill of climbing to the peak of a mountain!

For an ever greater adrenaline rush, they can even go skydiving! This activity must be performed with the assistance of an instructor, who will provide the harness for making the jump together. Upon reaching the ground, the instructor handles the landing using his/her own legs.

Why not even try freestyle? Thanks to special wheelchairs equipped with safety belts and helmets, people with disabilities can take on circuits quite similar to those used for skateboarding competitions! The only difference is that they’re on a wheelchair instead of a skateboard.

Never give up!

The world sports offers countless possibilities for people with various types of disabilities, even major ones. There are sports for all tastes, from the more “laid-back” and “classic” categories, to the extreme sports that most able-bodied people won’t even try.

Why should someone deprive themselves of an exciting experience just because they’re disabled?

Unlike the obstacles that one continuously encounters in daily life, there are truly no limits in sports.

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