The La Laguna City Council, in collaboration with the CoordiCanarias association, recently organised adapted tourist routes through the city’s main streets and landmarks. These routes saw participation from more than 300 individuals with various physical, sensory, intellectual, or psychic disabilities.
María Cruz, the Councilor for Social Welfare and Quality of Life, expressed that “this initiative has strengthened the Corporation’s commitment to making our most iconic spaces inclusive and accessible. We seek alternative ways for this group to explore our rich heritage and culture through different means.”
Meanwhile, Estefanía Díaz, the Tourism Councilor, emphasised that “universal accessibility is a top priority in defining our policies and actions to transform La Laguna into an inclusive municipality in all aspects, going beyond merely removing physical barriers. It’s about creating accessible and welcoming experiences, with trained staff and quality services to cater to the diverse needs of citizens.”
The routes were categorised into different thematic tours including ‘The city of San Cristóbal de La Laguna: history and culture’, ‘Santo Domingo: History, commerce, and the island of Tenerife’s market’, ‘Santo Domingo – Amaro Pargo and la Siervita’ and ‘History of the municipality’s festivals.’
This eight-month-long initiative was made possible through the efforts of qualified personnel such as sociocultural animators, support assistants, and drivers of adapted vehicles with a capacity for nine seats. Additionally, these professionals provided users with accessible maps containing relevant information.
“Experiences like these have enabled us to achieve significant milestones such as the Access City Award 2024, presented to the municipality by the European Commission and the European Disability Forum, in acknowledgment of the work and implementation of actions towards universal accessibility,” added María Cruz.
Notable locations visited through these routes included the convent of Santa Catalina, Casa de los Capitanes, convent of Santo Domingo, Palacio de Nava, Plaza del Cristo, the Cathedral, Palacio Lercaro, Instituto de Canarias Cabrera Pinto, Santa Clara monastery, Viana, as well as San Agustín, Bencomo, and La Carrera streets.
