The beaches of the ‘coast of the gods’ end up at the center of a legal action promoted by a group of parents of boys and girls with disabilities from the province of Vibo Valentia, supported by the Luca Coscioni Association. In recent days, a formal warning was sent to the Municipalities of Vibo Valentia, Briatico, Joppolo, Nicotera, Parghelia, Pizzo Calabro, Ricadi, Tropea and Zambrone, with the request to adopt urgent interventions to guarantee the effective accessibility and usability of the municipal beaches. The deed, prepared by the lawyers Maria Teresa Prestanicola and Alessandro Gerardi, of the Luca Coscioni Association, was also sent last July 9th, for information, to the president of the Calabria Region, Roberto Occhiuto, and to the regional councilor for Welfare Pasqualina Straface.
According to what was highlighted in the warning, numerous stretches of public coastline lack the minimum requirements necessary to allow people with motor disabilities to access the sea in conditions of safety and autonomy. Among the main critical issues reported are the absence of ramps and walkways down to the shoreline, the lack of Job chairs for entering the water, the lack of accessible toilets, adequate signage and information on available services.
The families ask the nine Municipalities to adopt, within fifteen days of receiving the act, all the necessary measures to make the state-owned areas intended for bathing accessible. Within ten days they must also communicate in writing the interventions already carried out, those planned and the related timetables. In the absence of evidence or concrete interventions, the signatories have announced their intention to contact the competent authorities.