Expo Zaragoza 2008 :: Handicapped people

Handicapped people

Rules and experience join in Expo Zaragoza 2008 to offer all the services that a handicapped person may need in his/her visit to the Exhibition. Each typology has needed an adequate study, with the purpose of offering a specific service for each of them. Expo has worked with the Permanent Commission for the Disability Comprehensive Policies for the practical development of this ideal of maximum accessibility in the site. Expo Zaragoza 2008 guarantees all the visitors a total access, independently of their physical characteristics.

You can receive specific information in the telephone number 976 106 265 for handicapped people who look for a specific accommodation in the city of Zaragoza.

All shuttle buses which bring the visitors nearer to the Expo gates from the car parks are adapted to any kind of disability. They include equipment such as fold-down and lateral ramp, chromatic and texture contrast, Braille button and visual and acoustic warning stop. Besides, bus urban lines which go to Expo have adequate equipment similar to the previous information given.

There are also two adapted bus routes which bring all the people who need those services to Expo, passing through all neighbourhoods of Zaragoza.

In the two car parks- north and south- there are one adapted parking bay from each 35, being 122 in the north car park and 156 in the south.

Cable cab can be used by any person, because it is adapted from its stations (with access lift) to its cabs.

Handicapped people can also go to Expo by boat. This is possible in the bigger boats, the catamarans which go from Vadorrey dam barrage to the Ebre gate at the Ranillas meander.

People with 33% disability have 25% discount in the Expo ticket price. Besides, companions of people with 65% disability go free into the site. This disability level is proved showing the corresponding document of the Social Security or the equivalent of the autonomous community.

There are four support points for handicapped people in Expo, three of them at the gates (Ebre, Bridge Pavilion and Water Tower) and one more next to the River Aquarium. In these centres, it is offered services of:

• Site general information and specific services for handicapped people.
• Site tactile diagrams on stone sheet, developed in collaboration with ONCE and ATADES and specially designed to support the space location of handicapped people.
• The same tactile diagram is available in paper made in Fuser furnace- thermal imprint system to create relief-. Publication and Documentation department issues these maps in the ONCE headquarters and in the site CAD.
• There are lending audio-guide, with audio-description for visually handicapped people under the regulation UNE 153020:2005. Audio-description for visually handicapped people. Requirements for the audio-description and elaboration of audio-guides. Available in Spanish, French and English.
• Sign-guides lending: resort in PDA support with sign language explanatory videos about several areas and facilities. Available in Spanish sign language and international sign system.
• Lending wheelchairs, manual and lightweight wheelchairs (13.2 kg) and with a big capacity of maneuverability and flexion.
• Location service for groups with intellectual disability with identification bracelet. Besides, security personnel have received specialized training to support intellectual disability people.

The centre located next to the River Aquarium, at the access ramp of the thematic plazas, has:

• Rest and position change area, principally for people with reduced mobility and other disability typologies which need isolated rest.
• Adapted hygiene area, for people with functional limitations, has a higher WC than the external toilets.
• Coordination point of the sign language interpreter team.
• Coordination point of the live subtitled team.
• Coordination point of the operating unit.

• There is the possibility of a continuous route, including external stairs helped with elevator and two triple slip carpet systems in ramp.
• Adapted cubicle in all the toilet modules.
• Signs with standard iconography designed in chromatic combination of high contrast and duplicated content embossed on each sign base.
• Sign language interpreter in Faro Citizen’s Initiatives, Conference Centre and Water Tribune.
• Live subtitled service in Faro Citizen’s Initiatives, Conference Centre and Water Tribune.   
• Magnetic induction in ticket office, modules, scenic areas and thematic plazas.
• Screens of dynamic information.
• PA system.
• There is the possibility of accessing to all the pavilions, thematic plazas and shows held in the site.
• Catering points with adequate menu for coeliac people and adaptable areas for people with reduced mobility.
• There is the possibility of access to the shops.
• There is the possibility of accessing to rest areas.

1.093 people pay attention to the handicapped people who visit the Expo, offering services such as communication based in signed language, orientation for visually handicapped people or the support to reduced mobility people.

The Expo staff has more than sixty handicapped people in several work areas and responsibility levels. Besides, an agreement has been signed with Naturalmente Social Recikla to administrate the recycling of oleic food waste. It is a non-profit entity constituted by four NGOs of Aragon (Adislaf, Atades Huesca, Atadi Teruel and Koiné Aequalitas), and registered in the Registry of Employment Special Centres of the Autonomous Community. Its main aims are:

• The social and labour insertion of intellectual disability people.
• Improvement and care of the environment.

• Improvement of the water cycle
• Maintenance of natural parks and protected areas
• Culture, formation and awareness for the Environment development
• Accessible and ecological rural tourism

Used vegetable oil is assigned to bio-diesel production. The methodology used is articulated through four collection teams integrated each one by two intellectual disability people and a monitor.