Your help is appreciated making Tenerife more accessible to disabled people

[Lissalyon]

This is a problem that could affect everyone at some point so I would appreciate some forum help

Well, after several more visits to the paradise island I'm formulating a plan. I get so upset when I come here and cannot partake of any of the coach trips on offer...I mean 19 euros to visit the teide. It's about €100 in a taxi! I

I sat in a cafe on the prom with a German lady who was also in a wheelchair, we had met the day beforehand the accessible beach and while we were sat there I reckoned that easily 1 in 4 or5 people were using a chair or mobility scooter yet the Tenerife authorities are only paying lip service to this amount of trade. We have hired a car for three days but my husband does a lot of driving in the uk so he likes to get away from all that and to be honest he finds it stressful. He's dyslexic and cannot process place names as quickly as I can as I cannot drive in Tenerife, I would need decent hand controls. I would like to see the Tenerife authorities striving to produce more accessible transport.

The 467 route from SILENCIO to FANABE runs one or two accessible buses an hour. This is the only route that does this. However we waited an hour in October and only ordinary buses showed up so we gave up. Frustration doesn't touch it. The next time we tried we got lucky and an accessible bus showed up within ten minutes and we went to las galletas, just for a change of scenery. Even then I had to be lifted onto it as the ramp didn't work.

I would love to see them do more for us. We ( disabled people collectively)bring a lot of money to the island and we are not getting a fair deal. I don't speak Spanish so it's hard to fight my corner. Yes the taxis are great but at about £100 a trip means we can only do one per visit and we are now being badly discriminated against. There's so many of us together we could make quite a fighting force but as we are so many different nationalities we are divided before we even begi

I wondered if any of you have any ideas, contacts or maybe even willing if you know Spanish to pen a letter to the appropriate department to see if anything can be done to improve the situation. I suppose I'm fairly fortunate that I can use aside board to get me in and out of a car and my chair is fairly light to go Into The boot but this would not be an option for someone in a heavy electric chair.so, I feel we have to fight for everyone. Besides our trip to Santa cruz was pretty disastrous.wehad no idea where to go and found ourselves in residential areas and I'm sure at one point we were competing for road space with a tram!!!

The disabled industry must be worth millions to Tenerife and we are not getting a fair crack of the whip.

Any ideas? Anyone?

[KirstyJay]

If you want to write something on here in the form of a letter, I'm sure many of the Spanish speaking members could help translate it...



Now would be a good time to start making a point, as there are elections coming up next year, so the politicians like to be seen helping people... ;)



Maybe speak to some of the freelance journalists, such as Colin Kirby www.colinkirby.com who could write a piece for local rags or blogs....

[Lissalyon]

Thanks Kirsty. It's a start. Maybe one of the journalists may know the appropriate dept to write to as well.

[Malteser Monkey]

Thanks Kirsty. It's a start. Maybe one of the journalists may know the appropriate dept to write to as well.

Good luck to you, hope you can make a difference:c2:

[primrose]

http://www.orangebus.eu/excursions.asp

[bulldog]

I know in Los Cristianos next to Torres del Sol there is a small complex everyone who stays there seems to be disabled its been there many years I think
they are Scandy,who always speak English it just may be worth having a chat with them ,good luck

[Tom & Sharon]

How do they get away with inaccessible buses? The DDA is a European law!

[Lissalyon]

How do they get away with inaccessible buses? The DDA is a European law!

I don't know but they do.

Live and let live I say but Tenerife is a big tourist destination for disabled travellers and they should be doing much, much more.

Companies like orange bus still work out expensive and there's all the hassle of booking the bloomin thing. Going on the days they say at the times they want you to travel.

I'd like to just turn up at a buss top like everyone else when I want to travel.

We thought we would get the accessible bus to Santa cruz then the tram to la laguna. So, listen to this rigmarole.

It left Los cris bus station at 10 am. Walking from las Americas is a good hour for us as you could not rely on an Accessible bus coming along on the 467 route that goes to or near the bus station.

Then it only goes on even days!!!!

Then you have to ring and book it more than 24 hours in advance , so no spontaneity there either..

Then you buy a card that allows yountravel at the discount rate

It takes about an hour . So then you get on the tram and arrive at la laguna about 11-30 but maybe more like 12 allowing for us to miss at least one connection.

Then come 2-30 you need to hotfoot it back to Santa cruz to be sure of getting the only bus to take you back at 3-30!

Great eh!

No wonder we didn't bother!

[Tom & Sharon]

I'd write to all and sundry like Kirsty suggested, but politicians need to be made aware that they are breaking DDA laws!

[Lissalyon]

Wish I could speak Spanish. I'd be on it like a bonnet lol

But honestly...it's no laughing matter.in two weeks and in THAT heat me and hubs must have walked about 35 miles in Los cris/ las Americas !

A bus we could hop on when we are tired or just too hot wouldn't be too much to ask.

[marbro8]

i never really noticed the problem until we started taking our niece on holiday with us:o,you are soooo restricted to what you can do and where you can go,even to the point of having to retrace your steps to be able to accommodate anyone with you on a mobility scooter,there are so many places we wanted to visit a few weeks ago but the only options we had was to either get an expensive taxi or leave my niece by the pool on her own or ask someone to keep an eye on her for us,don't get me wrong she is a healthy very attractive 21 year old with the mind of a 41 year old:lol:,it is just her limbs that let her down as she was born with a rare condition called arthrogryposis,there was a girl on american x factor a few years ago with it if anyone saw it? it is also very annoying to see so many people staring at her on the scooter,it's as if no one has ever seen a girl of her age disabled,it's like a bloody freak show sometimes,so much so she had a shouting match in leo's last week with a couple of women that took great pleasure in staring and pointing at her as if she was part of the entertainment:angry:,anyway rant over,so if there is an online petition or the like to sign count me in;)

[Suzanne]

maybe Oasis radio or Canarian weekly paper will take it up for you. Also you could try *************.com her website is brilliant and I am sure she will pount you in the right direction. Also a complaint to Titsa is a must.
My mum (bless her ) was disabled so i know how frustrating it must be. I wish you all the best with this crusade and I am sure its just starting.

[Lissalyon]

This is why I started the thread with saying everyone could be in this position. Residents who live there may have a stroke, a fall, a heart condition and so on.
It's something that can happen to any family whether be it yourself that struggles or a family member who is disabled comes to visit or wants to come on holiday with you.

Disability is no respecter of age I'm afraid.

When I've marshalled my thoughts and decided where it's best to write to I'd love it if we get an email set up that everyone could send

But please do keep the suggestions coming , I don't like to keep banging about this

BUT

one day it could be you!

I emailed the lady in question and I didn't get as much help as I thought I would btw