Although the city council initiated last year an assisted bathing service for people with reduced mobility, this year the contracting process to award the tasks has been deserted.
And it is worrying, because beach accessibility for people with disabilities is still a pending issue in Barcelona.
Therefore, for at least two months, people with disabilities will be left without a beach in the city.
No monitors for assisted bathing
For now, the bathing season begins in the city without monitors to help people with reduced mobility to access the water.
Although an emergency procedure is expected to be resolved to fix the situation, the resolution could take “eight to 10 weeks”.
So far, the assisted bathing service provided by monitors has been in high demand. It has succeeded in helping 7,813 people with mobility problems to enter the sea in 2022.
This number was higher last year versus the 5,266 seen in 2019, prior to the pandemic.
Although the city council advanced the start date of the service to respond to criticism of discrimination, it is only provided for two months less than the lifeguard service.
Thus, there will be no service during the entire period when the coast receives bathers en masse during the spring and summer.
The platform Accessibilitat Ciutat i Platges Barcelona met with technicians of the consistory to address the issue, but without councilors present.
And the City Council tried to implement last-minute solutions.
However, this does not guarantee that the modules with the handicapped-accessible changing tables will be installed in time for the bathing season, which starts at the end of May.
Beach accessibility difficulties
The problem of accessibility to beaches is not only in Barcelona, but in many other places in the world.
In many places, people with disabilities still find it difficult to enjoy the sea.
In many parts of the world, there are no monitors for assisted bathing at beaches for people with disabilities, which limits their access to the water and the beach.
Accessibility to beaches is a right of all people that must be guaranteed regardless of physical limitations.
This requires ensuring accessibility by installing ramps, changing tables and other elements that allow access to all people with disabilities.
Until 2019, the beaches of Nova Icària, Barceloneta, Llevant and Fòrum had barracas, pergolas and ramps that facilitated bathing for people with disabilities.
However, due to the pandemic, one of the conditioned areas was lost and has not yet been recovered.
Users demand that more service points be set up.
