By Howard Moutrie
I thought I would share my recent travelling experiences. Travelling for people with a disability can be a bit of hit and miss, some good things and some bad things. Of course, when travelling in the older cities around the world you have to expect that it isn’t always going to be accessible and you just have to expect to be careful and do some planning. I hope the articles provide some assistance.
This first instalment is Lisbon and surrounds. This is a beautiful city and a very enjoyable place to explore. Much of the city was flattened in an earthquake in 1755 so much of it is not all that old. What did survive is the higher areas, part of which was the ‘red light’ district. It does have some narrow, steep streets and footpaths can be narrow or non-existent in these areas.
Many of the footpaths have been paved on what appears to be marble cobblestones. They look quite good, but the constant traffic over the years has polished them and they can be slippery. When they are wet, they are diabolical, particularly on a slope. As you can see in the photo to the left, there was some slight drizzle and people tended to walk on other surfaces.
When the ‘new’ Lisbon was constructed, the paving in many of the public squares incorporated a pattern which has been replicated in many areas throughout Portugal and also in parts of Spain. I am not sure if this originated with the building of new Lisbon or was already in existence elsewhere and was incorporated in the rebuilding. It creates an incredible illusion. A woman who was travelling in my party was severely vision impaired (she used a cane as well as her husband for guidance) and I asked her what she thought of it and she just grimaced. It was quite unnerving for me.
One of the significant heritage sights in Lisbon is the Castle of St George. It is quite a steep walk to get to it as it is located on the highest part of the city, but public transport does go there. Inside the surface is uneven (what would you expect from a structure that dates back to the 1100’s?), but they have made some attempt to make it accessible.
Another of the heritage buildings which is beautiful and well worth the visit is the Jeronimos Monastery. Again, there are a few steps which need to be negotiated. Similarly, the 12th Century Cathedral is worth a visit but there are steps at the entry.
The metro is a great way to travel around the city, but the stations are not always accessible, nor to the level we would expect. Where provided, ramps are not necessarily well designed and neither ramps nor stairs tend to have TGSIs. The ramp in this photo (far right) has a gradient of about 1:4. The treatment of the stair (near right) at the lower level would be very confusing for a person with low vision.
On the other hand, the fire stair in the hotel in which I stayed, included a wheelchair refuge and the lift car buttons were easily identifiable.
Certainly, in the main areas, accessible public toilets were readily available in shops, hotels, etc. In public areas, however, toilets of any kind are hard to find, and come at a cost. As you would expect, the accessible toilets take the European form, often with a peninsula pan and drop down grabrails. One thing I did note was a general lack of consideration of latch-side circulation space.
Near Lisbon, other popular attractions include Quinta da Regaleira Palace and Pena Palace in Sintra. The path leading to the entry to Pena Palace is long and steep and then a further long ramp inside. It is a very popular place so at least the queues will ensure you get plenty of rest.
Sintra is a nice town, but as is the charm of the area, there are narrow, steep streets. And of course, they are paved with the same marble cobblestones.
The Quinta da Regaleira Palace is an amazing place to visit but again, it wasn’t designed with accessibility in mind, but you can access most areas.
Cascais is a trendy beachside town. It lacks the steep streets of Sintra but manages to use that traditional paving pattern. A least here, they changed the direction of the ‘wave’ which tended to remove the illusion.
So that’s it for Lisbon. It is a very enjoyable city, and although it does present some issues for people with various disabilities, it is worth the effort.