The Centers invest 430,000 euros to guarantee the autonomous visit of people with disabilities

Thanks to a project from the European Union's Next Generation funds, with an investment of 438,400 euros, innovative technological solutions are being incorporated into the Centers that guarantee a full, autonomous, and independent visit for all visitors.

The vice-president of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, María Jesús Tovar, and the Minister of Art, Culture, and Tourism Centers, Ángel Vázquez, visited Jameos del Agua and Cueva de los Verdes to check the reception of tourists and visitors to some of the initiatives being implemented.

Tovar stressed the importance of the Next Generation funds "to make Lanzarote a better place to live." For his part, Vázquez described the initiative as "a milestone for the organization, which opens the doors of the Tourist Centers to all people."

The project starts from a diagnosis prepared by a specialized consultancy that analyzes the reality of the Tourist Centers in terms of accessibility and inclusion and proposes a series of measures to guarantee a new visitor experience adapted to all people.

Tovar and Vázquez checked the operation of the sensory vests, a solution that improves the experience of people with hearing loss who use hearing aids and cochlear implants, facilitating access to cultural content, information, and communication on equal terms. These devices will be used mainly in artistic events held in the auditoriums of Jameos del Agua and Cueva de los Verdes.

The Plan also includes the acquisition of three joëlette chairs intended to facilitate visits to Cueva de los Verdes for people with reduced mobility. A Joëlette chair is an all-terrain wheelchair designed so that people with reduced mobility or disability can carry out hiking activities and access natural terrain where a conventional chair cannot circulate.

Also nine track chairs intended for mobility and evacuation in case of possible emergencies; and two motorized chairs for spaces with irregular pavements that will be used in the Monument to the Peasant and the Cactus Garden.

Likewise, each center will have sign guides to facilitate guided tours and the interpretation of spaces through sign language.

The Tourist Centers will also incorporate NaviLens codes to improve the orientation and autonomy of people with visual disabilities. This system uses colored digital markers, similar to QR codes, which facilitate the location of information and navigation in indoor spaces.

In addition, each center will have audio guides and audio description systems that will contribute to a better interpretation of the spaces and content.

Finally, existing texts will be adapted to easy reading and pictograms will be incorporated so that tourists, visitors, and residents can enjoy the cultural and heritage experience of the Tourist Centers under conditions of universal accessibility.