ACLI Anni Verdi	                                              Ministry of the Environment and 
	         Italian National                                                     Protection of the Territory
 Environmental Association			      Department for Nature Protection 

	PROJECT “PARKS FOR ALL: ACCESSIBILITY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES”

	
	
	GUIDELINES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF ITALIAN MARINE PROTECTED AREAS

ACCESSIBILITY AND USABILITY OF STRUCTURES AND SERVICES FOR A WIDE AUDIENCE
FOR PEOPLE WITH SENSORY AND MOBILITY LIMITATIONS, ELDERLY PEOPLE, CHILDREN

The present publication was prepared in the Project Area:” Parks for all – Marine Protected Areas: accessibility for people with disabilities”. Such project was realised by the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory, Department for Nature Protection, with the technical support of the association ACLI Anni Verdi.

Editorial Co-ordination: Gaetano Arciprete
Direction: Luca Antonio Ercolani
Scientific Co-ordination: Fabrizio Vescovo
Editing Co-ordination: Ennio Badolati
Editorial Secretary: Sabrina Depetris, Ugo Florio
Working Group Co-ordination Ministry – ACLI Anni Verdi: Oliviero Montanaro
Working Group Ministry – ACLI Anni Verdi: Marco Agliata, Ennio Badolati, Vincenzo Cingolani, Sabrina Depetris, Luca Antonio Ercolani, Ugo Florio, Costanza Lega,Giuseppe Leoni, Giambattista Mazzei, Achille Tagliaferri, Fabrizio Vescovo
Technical Consultancy: Funzione Formazione ACLI e Retecologica s.r.l. 
Graphic planning and creation of the website www.parchipertutti.it: Ascer Davide Habib
Data handling and supervision of the website www.parchipertutti.it: Ennio Badolati
English Texts: thanks to Federico Brucciani, Andrea Innamorati, Gianmaria Pareschi for their careful translation of the texts regarding "Guidelines for the Management of Italian Marine Protected Areas and to Caterina Cingolani  for her careful translation of the further integrations to the already mentioned texts; Antonella Arcangeli, Roberto Crosti for their careful translation of the texts regarding "Marine Protected Areas Exibits on Accessibility"
The basic information about the Marine Protected Areas is taken from the Elenco Ufficiale delle Aree Naturali Protette (EUAP), V edition 2003.

Data and information in the present publication are updated to April 2004.

Thanks to the Italian Federation for the Overcoming of Handicap (F.I.S.H )for their co-operation and the Federation among the National Associations of People with Disabilities (F.A.N.D.) for the suggestions provided in the editing process of the present document.

All rights are reserved. Reproductions of information and published data are allowed by the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory on condition that the source is cited.

For additional information on the present document, please contact: 
	ACLI Anni Verdi
Via Marcora 18/20 - 00153 Roma
Tel. 06/5840242-3; Fax 06/5840661
E-mail: anniverdi@acli.it 
Internet: www.aclianniverdi.it; www.parchipertutti.it
Parks for all: Accessibility for People with Disabilities
Accessibility and usability of structures and services for a wide audience for people with disabilities, elderly people and children.

Guidelines for the Management of Italian
Marine Protected Areas

Index

Presentation	                                                  										         p.  6

Introduction	                                                        											         p.  6

Why  the Project : “Parks for All – Marine Protected Areas:
 accessibility for people with disabilities”?	                                                               												         p.  7

1 Premise	                                                                                 											         p.  8
1.1 The Project: “Parks for All: Marine Protected Areas”                                     			        
1.2 The Full Usability of the MPA: a Priority Target                                              			
1.3 Basic Concepts									         p.11

2 Universal Design: Planning Principles for a Wide Audience

3 The International and National Reference Framework on  Disabilities		
3.1 2003 as the “European Year of People with Disabilities”			         
3.2 National Legislation							         p.18

4 Italian Marine Protected Areas			
4.1 National Legislation								         p.19
4.2 The Establishment									         p.21
4.3 The Management									         p.22
4.4 The Levels of Protection in the Marine Protected Areas 			

5 The Condition of Accessibility of Marine Protected Areas 			

6 The Role and the Strategies of the Italian Ministry of the Environment 
   and Protection of theTerritory in the Protection and Valorisation System of 
  Marine Protected Areas

7  Criteria and Guidelines for the Management Authorities 
     to Provide Accessibility to Marine Protected Areas      		       
7.1 Usability of Structures								         p.36
7.2 Usability of Trails								         p.41
7.3 Usability of Services								         p.46
7.4 Usability of the Sea

					         p.48
Appendix											       p.  56
Glossary										       p.  56
Main Sources of Information							       p.  64
Bibliography									       p.  72

	Exhibits on the Accessibility of Marine Protected Areas	
•	CAPO CACCIA – ISOLA PIANA						       p.  78
•	CAPO CARBONARA								       p.  82
•	CAPO GALLO – ISOLA DELLE FEMMINE				       p.  86
•	CAPO RIZZUTO								       p.  89
•	CINQUE TERRE								       p.  93
•	ISOLE CICLOPI								       p.  98
•	ISOLA DELL’ASINARA							       p.102
•	ISOLA DI USTICA								       p.107
•	ISOLE DI VENTOTENE E SANTO STEFANO				       p.111
•	ISOLE EGADI									       p.115
•	ISOLE PELAGIE (LAMPEDUSA, LINOSA, LAMPIONE)			       p.119
•	ISOLE TREMITI								       p.123
•	MIRAMARE									       p.128
•	PARCO SOMMERSO DI BAIA						       p.133
•	PARCO SOMMERSO DI GAIOLA						       p.136
•	PENISOLA DEL SINIS – ISOLA DI MAL DI VENTRE			       p.139
•	PORTO CESAREO								       p.144
•	PORTOFINO									       p.148
•	PUNTA CAMPANELLA							       p.153
•	SANTUARIO PER I MAMMIFERI MARINI					       p.157
•	SECCHE DI TOR PATERNO						       p.160
•	TAVOLARA – PUNTA CODA CAVALLO					       p.164
•	TORRE GUACETO								       p.169

PRESENTATION

The Italian National System of Nature Protected Areas, which actually involves approximately 800 areas of different sizes, typology and level of protection, preserves an environmental and cultural heritage unique in the world, which is furthermore enriched by the presence of the Marine Protected Areas.
We are talking about 23 areas which protect 190.000 hectares of sea surface of italian coast and preserve some of the most important “jewels” of the Mediterranean Sea.
It is therefore a specific interest and duty of the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory to protect and at the same time promote such heritage, allowing an increasingly wider range of citizens, including those with a temporary or permanent mobility or sensory limitations, such as people with disabilities, elderly people and children, to be able to make use in an easy way.
Allowing the usability of nature protected areas and, in particular, also the Marine Protected Areas, represents, other than a concrete way to continue the actions already undertaken by my Ministry during 2003 as the European Year of People with Disabilities, a further deference to the Italian Constitutional Dictate which ratifies the principle of equality and equal dignity and opportunity for each person.
In this realm, we include the initiative made by this Ministry, the Project “Parks for All – Marine Protected Areas: accessibility for a wide audience”, with the technical support of the association ACLI Anni Verdi, which aims at setting a foundation for this principle to be respected also with regards to the Marine Protected Areas.

	                                       Altero Matteoli
	                                        Minister for the Environment
	                                         and Protection of theTerritory

								    Altero Matteoli
	INTRODUCTION

The Department for Nature Protection of the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory, in consideration of the positive results achieved with the Project “Parks for All: accessibility for people with disabilities” regarding the National Parks, carried out in 2002 with the technical support of the association ACLI Anni Verdi, drew up in 2003 a new convention with the same association for the continuation of the Project “Parks for All: accessibility for people with disabilities” having as a target the Marine Protected Areas in Italy.
The project’s objective is that of promoting accessibility and usability of Marine Protected Areas for the widest possible range of citizens, including elderly people, children and people with disabilities. Within this project, a specific section in the web site, www.parchipertutti.it, prepared according to the WAI standards (Web Accessibility Initiative) which allows the browsing to some categories of people with disabilities, was dedicated to the Marine Protected Areas and to the problems linked to the usability for a wide audience.
Such section, besides providing information on the Marine Protected Areas and on their accessibility/usability, which integrate those concerning in general terms the national system of Nature Protected Areas, contains moreover these “Guidelines for the Management of Marine Protected Areas”, aimed at promoting and planning the necessary actions to guarantee an adequate level, in accordance with the current legislation, of accessibility to services and natural or built spaces in the area.

							  Aldo Cosentino
	                                    Aldo Cosentino
	                                    General Director					           Director-General
                                                                    Department for Nature Protection
                                                    Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory

WHY THE PROJECT “PARKS FOR ALL – MARINE PROTECTED AREAS: ACCESSIBILITY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES”?

The entrustment of the Project “Parks for All – Marine Protected Areas: accessibility for people with disabilities” by the Department for Nature Protection of the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory represents without any doubt a confirmation of the positive work carried out by the association ACLI Anni Verdi with the project concerning accessibility and usability of structures and services, offered by the National Parks, entrusted in 2002 by at the time the Department for Nature Protection.
At the same time, from our point of view, it offers furthermore a significant example of the effort that the Ministry wants to continue to profuse for the effective achievement of regulations regarding accessibility of structures and services offered by the Nature Protected Areas of Italy.
Thanks to the long-lasting experience achieved in the area of social and job integration of people with disabilities by the vast majority of services, of social corporate and of associations supported by ACLI, of which the association Anni Verdi is an integrating part, we are sure that this publication, together with the web site www.parchipertutti.it also accessible for people with disabilities, represents, during the European Year of People with Disabilities, a useful tool to create awareness and to promote the active commitment of the various people interested in accessibility and usability of the many structures and services, already created or in progress, in the territory of reference.

Giambattista Mazzei	                                                                               Luigi Bobba
   ACLI Anni Verdi	                                                                        ACLI National President
National Co-ordinator

1 PREMISE

1.1 The Project: “Parks for all: Marine Protected Areas”

The Italian Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory, the Nature Conservation Department, at present Department for Nature Protection, within its planning, direction and monitoring functions of the activities carried out at different levels in the sector of conservation of Italy’s natural heritage, signed in December 2001 a convention with the association ACLI Anni Verdi for the realisation of the Project “Parks for All: accessibility for a wide audience”. In October 2002, with the signing of the new convention, the above mentioned Ministry, on the initiative of the Sea Protection Department, at present Department for Nature Protection, decided to avail another time of the technical support offered by ACLI Anni Verdi to set up a second project: “Parks for All: Marine Protected Areas: accessibility for people with disabilities”.
These two projects expand in two different areas, even though they have a common root,  that is the diffusion to all citizens, and in particular to all competent subjects or people interested in nature protected areas, both institutional and non, of a deep understandings of sites' easy usability, services and related facilities, transport system included, by the widest range possible of citizens.
In particular the first project, whose final achievements were presented during the National Convention held in April 11th 2003 at Roma’s Auditorium, brought to the drafting of the “Guidelines for the Management Authorities of the National Parks” on the subject of accessibility and usability of structures and services offered to people with disabilities. Such “Guidelines”, together with a large number of further documents, data and information on the national system of protected areas and on the world of disability, were included in the web site www.parchipertutti.it. This web site, planned and created according to the international standards of the WAI (Web Accessibility Initiative), is visitable through an appropriate browser also by people with disabilities and , for these reasons, the Internet Web Site Observatory (O.S.I.) of the Italian Association of the Blind People conferred the recognition of web site “completely accessible”.
Instead, with regards to the object of the second Convention, there is the need to emphasize the fact that reference is made for national Marine Protected Areas; and therefore, even though the aim of this work is the same of the previous one, thus to promote, at various levels, all the required actions to guarantee an easy use of structures and services by a wider range of people (people with disabilities, elderly people and children), the reality took into consideration has peculiar features which were analysed and studied in the light of their specificity.
An example of this peculiarity is the fact that, while for the planning and the management of National Parks already exist precise and direct rules on accessibility, the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory only recently approved  administrative rules that, with great attention, deal with the problems of usability for the Marine Protected Areas(on which there seems to be no so many specific rules ). Nevertheless, according to the logic of the Constitutional Rights and to the opinion movements that fortunately are lately strengthening more than ever ,the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory intended to consider the issue of an easier usability of these particular and important portions of the environment. In first instance, a survey on the degree of accessibility and usability of services and structures offered in the M.P.A. through the completion of a checklist by the managers of the above mentioned areas, has been made. Such monitoring process allowed to collect data and information which were useful in drafting the “Guidelines”, aimed at the planning and the realisation of actions needed to secure an appropriate level of usability of services and spaces, both natural or built, in the M.P.A. in accordance with the actual system of protection and, more in general, with the legislation in force. Moreover herewith attached are the summary tables of each Marine Protected Areas which, beside indicating the ways and vehicles needed to reach the M.P.A., offer an outline of information on their usability (routes, distances and, obviously, accessibility of the structures), on their geo-morphological features, flora and fauna, cultural heritage, crafts and typical products, and the tourist accommodation capacity.
The information mentioned above is available on the web site www.parchipertutti.it which is accessible also through an appropriate link from the web site of the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory (www.minambiente.it), or by contacting directly the association ACLI Anni Verdi.
In conclusion, there is the need to emphasize an essential aspect in facing such important and delicate issues: the identification and establishment of a common semantic. Such operation appears to be extremely difficult because both laws and regulations in force and the existing popular and scientific information do not use a common “vocabulary”. Therefore it was advisable to identify, for this document, a short list of the most significant terms used in this document (see glossary in this appendix), and at the same time to place great attention on the explanation of some basic concepts which later will be used.

1.2 The Full Usability of the M.P.A.: a Priority Target

Different and all valid are the motivations that encourage us to pursue the above mentioned objective.
First of all, the foundations of this work can be found in the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” approved by the UN General Assembly on the 10th of December 1948, with particular regards to the statement of the independence of each person in the social, familiar, cultural and health area (Art. 1-2-7-22-25, paragraph I), and in the “Declaration of Rights of people with sensory or mobility limitations” issued by the UN in 1975.
We must consider, then, the dictate of the Italian Constitution, that through Art. 3 ratifies the  principle of equality (formal and substantial) and equal dignity and opportunity for each person. As a consequence, the huge national legislation production, essential to support an effective and tangible constitutional text, represents, on a whole, a reference point among the most evolved and modern world wise.
Finally, besides all considerations, an accurate observation must be made regarding the quantity of disadvantages that the entire community is forced to support due to our territory, urbanised or not, which features numerous roughness and obstacles.
Many people, becoming older or accidentally, and for the architectural barriers, are forced to limit their physical activity, even though they can still attend in a profitable way their working activities both intellective and professional. The entire community, in this way, is penalised and limited, as these people, considered “disable”, are not allowed to express their qualities, at times still outstanding from a “productive” point of view. This issue needs to be emphasized because the damage that we are talking about is greater than what is commonly thought to be: in 1993, the European Commission quantified 60-80 million people with mobility limitations, which correspond to 20% of the entire European population. To this estimate we must add a relevant number of people (parents, friends and acquaintances) who indirectly are involved in such situations.
The concept to be developed, therefore, is that the State, the civil society, single people, each with the assumption of their responsibility, must enable less fortunate citizens to express at best their qualities and diminish, as far as possible, the disadvantages and fully use their helpfulness even if limited or “residual”. This appears to be the only road which can be followed to limit, if not cancel, the social injustices and the main diseconomies.
These brief general observations have a significant content also in the particular case of Marine Protected Areas. 
From some decades, due to the intensification of the human presence along the coastal areas, the increasing levels of industrialisation, the maritime traffic of hazardous substances and the pollution loads of water courses, the ecologic asset of the Mediterranean Sea was seriously challenged. For these reasons, the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory set up a firm policy of revaluation and valorisation of the sea and of the coastal areas which resulted in the issuing of the Marine Protected Areas. These areas, created as wardens of unique natural sceneries, are not only considered merely as a summer attraction, but as windows open on an extremely rich and variegated universe, emerged and submerged, of great tourist, scientific and educational interest. Therefore the function and the actual existence of this extraordinary typology of nature protected area would be seriously brought into question, if the effective ”enlarged” usability of structures and services offered will not be recognised as a priority.
Therefore a first and important objective is to set up “Guidelines” which will help all the parties interested in the management and development of the Marine Protected Areas, to plan and provide an adequate level of usability that, as mentioned, is the widest possible, and thus that constantly keeps into consideration the multi-generation requirements (from those of children to those of elderly people), and of those people that for whatever reason have mobility or sensory limitations.

1.3 Basic Concepts

In the paragraph above we tried to prove how the analysis and study related to the accessibility and usability of the territory, both urban and natural, represent nowadays a key role for the development of the environment’s qualitative aspects.
It is important to fully understand the advantages of accessibility, intended as the collection of distributive, dimensional, and managerial features that allow also people with sensory and mobility limitations an easy and safe use of spaces and facilities.
To this end, it is essential to better understand some basic concepts, at times still not well assimilated and often misunderstood.

People with Disabilities
We must point-out how people with mobility limitations should not ever be considered as a specific category, but as a group of people with variegated characteristics and demands ,depending also on their different ages . As a matter of fact, if it is true that people with disabilities are intended as all those people that have limited mobility and sensory capacity, it is equally true that the reduced capacities have different origins, nature, features and nuances that should not be ignored or neglected. There are cases of people with temporary mobility limitations such as elderly people and children; people with grasping difficulties (for example caused by arthritis); people with young children in baby carriages; people on wheelchairs; blind people, people with eye sight limitations, deaf people with discourse difficulties and with other communication problems; people that accompany parents or friends with disabilities, people with a temporary infirmity (for example caused by an accident or a sport injury). Therefore we cannot talk of a diversity, but of various diversities which have different needs and requirements that ask to be complied with. The goal to reach for  is that of strengthening and making tangible the person’s autonomy ,providing facilities and services that allow, as much as possible, easy accessibility and general usability to the entire habitat in which we live.

People with Disabilities’ Social Incidence
As already mentioned, persons with mobility limitations represent a wide range of people, both at European and national level. In 1993 the Commission of the European Communities quantified in 60 – 80 million only the number of people with mobility limitations, equal to approximately 20% of the European population; the following categories shall be included:
•	People with mobility limitations such as elderly people, children or people with disabilities;
•	People with grasping problems (for example caused by arthritis);
•	People with young children in baby carriages;
•	People in wheelchairs;
•	Blind people, visually impaired people, deaf people and people with hearing problems, people with speech impairments and with other communication problems;
•	People that accompany parents or friends with disabilities;
•	People with temporary impairments (caused for example by an accident or a sports injury).

	Barriers
In order to allow accessibility and/or usability of a service or structure, there is obviously the need to clear them from physical or environmental barriers; it is useful to make some considerations on the term barrier. They represent all those obstacles which prevent or limit people with temporary or permanent impairments to carry out actions which are easy and possible for people considered ‘normal’. It is possible to split the categories into psychological barriers and physical barriers. The former are included in the field of the psychological and sociological sciences, which consider these obstacles being of a cultural or psychological nature that prevents full utilization of the needs and a sensible  satisfaction of the demands. Physical barriers, which certainly also have concomitant effects and implications of a psychological nature, are the dominion of urban planning, architecture and construction in general. Physical barriers can be further distinguished in:
-  architectural barriers: 1) physical obstacles which are a source of discomfort for mobility for everyone but especially for those individuals who, for whatever reason, have reduced capacity of movement either permanent or temporary impairment; 2) obstacles that limit or prevent the comfortable and safe use of facilities, equipment or components; 3) the lack of appropriate signs or markings, which permit the finding and recognition of places or danger sources for everyone and especially for those who have visual or hearing limitations.
-	urban barriers: comprised of those material obstacles which prevent or limit the movement of people with sensory or mobility limitations (steep sidewalks, inappropriate crossings for pedestrians, stairs);
-	localization barriers: comprised of those poor urban and architectural planning which limit the possibility to use public facilities (for example, the difficulty  in recognizing buildings meant for social use, making them hard to be found; the lack of coordination in the localization of facilities when it would be preferable to group them together in related structures made more accessible for a widespread utilization; the excessive distance of facilities for social use from the user’s homes due to a lack of consideration with respect to the maximum range of utilization).
For too many years, obstacles represented by barriers (architectural and non) were considered a problem only for “handicapped” people and the solutions were to be found, however often thoughtlessly, only for facilities open to the public. Only recently the point of view on this issue has been opportunely widened, changing the original “stereotype” and all that is related, to comprehend all the environmental context and the services for the individual person.

	Accessibility and Usability
Thus, maybe, it is not a casualty that now, in Italy, an interest is arising, aware of the issues regarding the accessibility to nature protected areas, and in particularly to Marine Protected Areas, which are not anymore considered as oasis of flora and fauna protection, but are also considered as an occasion, for modern man, to recover interface and complementarity with nature ,too often left aside.
The ideal would be to establish, for each “type” of environment, a differentiated typology of intervention, even though a general principle should be in any case kept into account: the planned open spaces, both natural or artificial, should not be addressed only for “normal or disabled people”, but “for all” according to the principles of Universal Design. To plan accessibility to Marine Protected Areas means to create areas, in accordance with the principle of social equipotential of all the people, usable by each person, avoiding solutions dedicated to “special” categories that actually become occasions of new marginalization. This means that whoever plans today green areas must, as an objective, bring benefits to the entire community, must promote an aware and shared use of nature areas in all the social groups. In order that the interventions reach everyone, they must be interesting for all; accessibility, therefore, must be considered as an essential functional aspect although not enough to guarantee the efficiency and the overall quality of the project.

Beyond the Rules
In accordance with the indications and the suggestions of the legislator, the established commitment is to “strengthen” the right of each citizen to “not be excluded” from an area. In this sense, with respect to the existing rules on this issue, it is essential “to go beyond” the normative prescription. In order to clarify the meaning of this last statement, we will quote part of the “Madrid Declaration”: “Anti-discrimination legislation has proven to be successful in bringing about changes in attitude towards people with disabilities. However, the law is not enough. Without a strong commitment from all society, including the active participation of disabled people and their organisations in securing their own rights, legislation remains an empty shell. Public education is therefore necessary to back up legislative measures and to increase understanding of the needs and rights of disabled people in society and to fight the prejudice and stigmatisation that still presently exists.”
Certainly, the road of public awareness is the keystone to give an act to a new vision of the problems of environment usability.
To sum up, the cultural upgrade that was agreed to be promoted is that of considering the existing rules for the overcoming of the various types of barriers (environmental, architectural, bureaucratic, etc.) not as a penalising bond, but as a positive opportunity, aimed at a generalised benefit. Therefore not anymore strict rules for the “handicapped”, but operative measures to obtain an environment which is safe and friendly for each of us, and in particular for the increasing range of people with reduced or impaired mobility or sensory capabilities.
These remarks seem appropriate as the technical solutions, proposed by the designers, are usually carried out in function of people on wheelchairs; and usually without any clear ideas: often, as a matter of fact, the ramps have excessive slopes compared to their length and are built with slippery materials (they are uncomfortable even if “in accordance with the law”).

	Planning Solutions must not Prevail on the Context
It is still in relation to the quality of the intervention, seeing that the natural context is often bound by protection bonds ,which can also be strict, that it is important to specify that the planning solutions must never be invasive: also for the interventions aimed at secure accessibility and/or usability, the respect of the natural, historic and socio-cultural heritages of the site undergoing intervention must represent a leading landmark.

Accessibility does not always involve Further Costs
In conclusion, an observation on the economic outcomes linked to issues of accessibility in nature areas. Many researches proved that, at least for buildings, if accessibility is envisaged from the early stage of the planning phase, the added cost of building and carrying out a service is, in the majority of the cases, pointless or negligible, while great is the number of people that will benefit from it.

Nothing for People with Disabilities without People with Disabilities
On this particular point it seems appropriate to remember what was stated in the already quoted “Declaration of Madrid”: “Year 2003 must be an opportunity to grant disabled people, their families, their advocates and their associations a new and expanded political and social scope, at all levels of society, in order to engage governments in dialogue, decision-making and progress around the goals for equality and inclusion. All actions should be undertaken in dialogue and co-operation with the relevant representative disability organisations. Such participation should not only be limited to receiving information or endorsing decisions. Rather, at all levels of decision-making, governments must put in place or strengthen regular mechanisms for consultation and dialogue enabling disabled people through their disability organisations to contribute to the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all the actions. A strong alliance between Governments and disability organisations is the basic requisite to progress most effectively the equal opportunities and social participation of disabled people. In order to facilitate this process, the capacity of disability organisations should be enhanced through greater resource allocation to allow them to improve their management and campaigning capacities. This also implies the responsibility on part of the disability organisations to continuously improve their levels of governance and representativeness”.

2 UNIVERSAL DESIGN: PLANNING PRINCIPLE FOR A WIDE AUDIENCE

The Universal Design expresses a concept, critically setting a fundamental objective of theoretical-planning good practise: it aims at matching the needs of the widest range of users as possible. It thus expresses the endeavour toward a value object, not only toward an amount of dimensional requirements. It challenges the designers to go further the codex compliance and peculiarities of specific users, in order to find solutions which include the needs of different recipients.
In the last 10 decade, there has been an increased interest toward the logics of the Universal Design, as an alternative to the Barrier-Free Design. The increasing awareness toward these changes made the middle 80’s productive system interested in the large and potential market of  products, designed according to this un-discriminating logic. Even if not aware of it, many people without (or allegedly without) any disability, or without mobility impairments, daily benefit from the features of products developed and intended for people with disabilities. The Universal Design defines the user according to wide categories, not focusing only on people with disabilities. It suggests to make all elements and spaces available to people, to the largest extent as possible. It does not imply that “all” is made available to everyone: the term refers more to the methodological attitude than to a stiff dogmatic proposition.
The Universal Design intends to offer solutions adjustable to people with disabilities, so as to the rest of the population, with lower costs than assistance technologies or specialized services.
In 1997 seven planning principles were defined, according  to the Universal Design logic.
These principles, besides being applicable to all planning discipline, constitute useful instruments for assessing existing projects, for steering planning process and briefing designers and users on the optimal features of products and environments.
The validities of these principles, hereon enlisted, may be enlarged, without affecting its full applicability, even to the planning and implementation of services for people.
Principle One: Equitable use (fair and un-discriminating use)
The project is valid and applicable to persons with different abilities. 
Principle Two: Flexibility in use (flexible use)
The project is adjustable to a large share of needs and individual abilities.
Principle Three: Simple and Intuitive Use
The project use is easy understandable, whether the user is skilled or not, independently  from his/her knowledge, from the language or concentration level.
Principle Four: Perceptible Information
The project effectively communicates all required information to users, independently from environmental matters or sensory capabilities.
Principle Five: Tolerance for error
The project minimizes the risks and negative consequences from accidental and non intentional actions.
Principle Six: Low Physical Effort
The project can be used in an effective, comfortable way with low effort.
Principle Seven: Size and Space for Approach and Use
The project envisages space and dimension adequate to the approach, the achievement, the manipulation and the use beyond user’s physical dimensions, mobility and posture.

3 THE INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL REFERENCE FRAMEWORK ON DISABILITY

3.1 2003 "European Year of People with Disabilities"
Following the tangible achievements reached in recent years at an international and European level to improve autonomous living conditions and the relationships of people with disabilities, the European Commission is concretely involved, with the Parliament, Member States and the NGO (Non Governmental Organisations), in strengthening the active policies and supporting co-operation on different issues related to disabilities. In order to spread information, to stimulate awareness and to encourage participation, to create innovative processes and strengthen the idea of European citizenship, the Commission, on the fifth of June 2001, proposed to the Council of the European Union to declare year 2003 “European Year of People with Disabilities”. The Council of the European Union, accepting the proposal, with Decision of the 3rd of December 2001, declared 2003 as the “European Year of People with Disabilities”.
The objectives of the initiative are:

•	to increase the global awareness regarding the rights of people with disabilities in support of the full achievement of their rights and to avoid discrimination.
•	to encourage observations and discussions about the measures needed to promote equal opportunity for people with disabilities throughout Europe;
•	to promote discussion concerning “good practices” and effective strategies carried out at national, local and European level;
•	to intensify cooperation among the operators in the sector, in particular: governments, management and labour, NGO, social services, private sector, insurance sector, voluntary groups, people with disabilities and their family;
•	to improve communication concerning the handicap and the promotion of positive image of people with disabilities;
•	to improve the awareness of the heterogeneity of the typologies of handicap and the various forms of handicap;
•	to improve the awareness of the different forms of discrimination to which the people with disabilities are exposed;
•	to grant particular attention to the right of children and young people with disabilities to receive equal treatment in education, in order to favour and support the full integration in society and the development of a co-operation at European level among the staff in charge of special teaching for children and young people with disabilities, to improve the integration of pupils and students to specific needs in normal or qualified institutes, such as also in programs of national and European exchanges.
The declaration of the “European Year of People with Disabilities” coincides with the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the “Standard rules for the achievement of equal opportunities for people with disabilities” by the General Assembly of the United Nations.
The principles indicated in the “Standard Regulations” inspired the European strategy for the protection of the human rights of people with disabilities, based on the non discrimination, the policies of social inclusion, and linked to the mainstreaming and equal opportunities.
Italy, such as other Member States of the Union, carried out, at national level, the measures envisaged in the Decision of the Council of the European Union. First of all, the National Coordination Office was set up next to the Ministry of Welfare, in co-presidency with the Department for Communitarian Policy of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers; the National Coordination Office, made of Representatives of the Ministries, Regions, Local Authorities and Associations, is in charge of favouring inter-institutional co-operation at different levels so that the receivability of civil rights of people with disabilities is ensured and guaranteed in all the aspects of everyday life. As already demonstrated by the present experiences, such as scholastic integration, the occupation or fruition of leisure time, this task must be considered a priority; as a matter of fact, only when it is possible to offer services and co-ordinated interventions, it is possible to achieve effective conditions of equal opportunities.
At national and regional level many initiatives proliferated regarding, briefly, three macro-areas linked to the issues of “awareness and promotion of technologic innovations”,  thought to better represent the situation of people with disabilities and favour their communication and integration, of “mobility”, nonetheless of “interventions in favour of people with serious disabilities and their families”, with particular reference to the interventions aimed at improving the quality of family life.
With regards to Europe, it is useful to remember the commitment of the European Disability Forum (EDF). It is an international no profit organisation, with the head quarters in Brussels, created in 1996 by an organisation of people with disabilities and their families to give to the same people an independent voice towards the EU. As well as other organisations of the same type, EDF defines its role in the promotion of equal opportunities, non discrimination, protection of the basic human rights through the active participation to the elaboration of policies and campaign on human rights.
EDF shows its roots in the movements for civil rights born in the sixties which have started to propose disability not anymore as a tragic deviation from normality, but as a social status too often subject to discriminations. This interpretation allowed to recognise disability as an area not only for welfare policy, but of struggle to increase the social awareness of the various problems contained in the term “disability”.
Within the policy activities of preparation for Year 2003, the European Forum of People with Disabilities called the Italian Government to start with tangible actions and active policies in areas in which people with disabilities face discrimination and exclusion. Together they drafted a Memorandum which contains action proposals for the Government so that the semester of Italian Presidency of the European Union would have brought a significant support to Year 2003.

3.2 The National Legislation

The National Legal Framework concerning accessibility and architectural barriers is extremely complex to be adequately discussed in the present document; therefore, for more specific information, please see the large number of existing publications. Table 1 shows the most important national legislation references concerning accessibility, usability and the removal of architectural barriers.

Table 1	
NORMATIVE REFERENCES	CONTENT	
Circular of the Ministry for Public Works n. 425 dated 29/01/67	Standard Rules for Housing	
Circular of the Ministry for Public Works n. 4809 dated 19/06/68	Rules for the use of buildings with social features	
Act n. 118 dated 30/03/71	People with disabilities: service, education and elimination of the barriers	
Decree of the Ministry of Education dated 18/12/75	Technical regulations regarding the school buildings	
Act n. 41 dated 28/02/86	Financing Act 1986	
Act n. 13 dated 09/01/89	Elimination of the architectural barriers in private housing	
Decree of the Ministry for Public Works n. 236 dated 14/06/89	Technical prescriptions for accessibility, visitability and adaptability	
Circular of the Ministry for Public Works n. 1669/U.L. dated 22/06/89	Explanatory rules of Act n. 13/1989	
Circular of the Ministry for Public Works n.259 dated 23/01/90	Implementation rules of Act n. 13/1989	
Act n. 15 dated 15/01/91	Rules to favour the voting of voters with mobility limitations	
Act n. 394 dated 06/12/91	Framework Act on the Protected Areas	
Act n. 104 dated 05/02/92	Framework Act regarding handicap	
Circular of the Ministry for Public Works n. 280 dated del 25/03/92	Implementation measures of Act n. 104/1992, Art. 23	
Decree of the Ministry of Justice dated 17/01/95	Interventions in the penitentiary institutes	
Presidential Decree  n. 503 dated 24/07/96	New rules for the elimination of the architectural barriers 	
Act n. 68 dated 12/03/99	Rules for the right to work for people with disabilities	
Act n. 328 dated 08/11/00	Framework Act for the realisation of the integrated system of interventions and social services	
Presidential Decree n. 380 dated 06/06/2001	Amalgamated Law of legislative and statutory measures regarding building issues	
From E. Matteucci in "Verde per tutti", volume 6 of: "Progettare con il verde", Alinea Editrice, Firenze 2000, modified.

4 THE ITALIAN MARINE PROTECTED AREAS

Italy, positioned in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, has in the Sea a unique resource. 
In the last century, unfortunately, this unique heritage, which reports however a congenital weakness, and thus is made up by a semi-closed basin with a secular cadence of water change, was stroke by pollution, land speculation and the exponential growth of economic and industrial activities. The damages have been so heavy for the qualitative conditions of our waters that, in the past years, the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory undertook a decisive policy to safeguard protect and increase in value the sea and the coastal areas. Among the various initiatives, great evidence was put on the plan that brought to the setting up of Marine Protected Areas. They are constituted by marine environments made of water and sea beds which have a relevant interest for their natural characteristics ,with particular concern for the marine and coastal flora and fauna, and also by the overlooking coastal areas which  often have a relevant interest for their geomorphological, archaeological  historical, architectonical heritage ,unique in the whole world .In the coastal area, culture and nature intertwine and merge with fascinating and different harmony, in a dissoluble relationship with the cultural contributions coming from all the Mediterranean shores.

4.1 The National Legislation

The following two tables report the measures which set the framework regulation in terms of Marine Protected Areas.

Table 1 (Acts)	
NORMATIVE REFERENCES	CONTENTS	
Act December, 31st 1982, n.979	Measures for sea protection	
Act July 8th, 1986, n.349	To institute the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory and the legislation related to environmental damage	
Act December 6th, 1991, n.394 	Framework Act on the Protected Areas	
Act October 8th, 1997, n.344	Measures for the development and the qualification of the interventions and employment in the environmental field	
Act December 9th, 1998, n.426	New interventions in the environmental field 	
Act December 23rd, 2000, n.388, Art. 114	Measures for the annual and multi-annual budget execution (Financing Act 2001)	
Act March 23rd, 2001, n.93	Environmental field measures	
Act October 11th, 2001, n.391	Ratification and execution of the Agreement for the creation of a sanctuary for marine mammalia in the Mediterranean, signed in Roma on the 25th of November, 1999	
Act 31 July 31st, 2002, n.179, Art. 8 e 9	Environmental field measures	

Source: Internet web site of the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory (www.minambiente.it)

Table 2 (Decrees)	
REFERENCE REGULATIONS	CONTENTS	
Inter-Ministerial Decree 12th of November 1986	Establishment of a marine nature reserve named "Isola di Ustica"	
Inter-Ministerial Decree 12th of November 1986	Establishment of the marine nature reserve of Miramare in the Gulf of Trieste	
Inter-Ministerial Decree 14th of July 1989	Establishment of a marine nature reserve named  "Isole Tremiti"	
Inter-Ministerial Decree 7th of December 1989	Establishment of a marine nature reserve "Isole Ciclopi"	
Ministerial Decree 17th of May 1996	Modifications to the inter-ministerial decree of the 7th of December 1989 which institutes the marine nature reserve "Isole Ciclopi"	
Inter-Ministerial Decree 4th of December 1991	Establishment of a marine nature reserve named "Torre Guaceto"	
Inter-Ministerial Decree 27th of December 1991	Establishment of a marine nature reserve named "Isole Egadi"	
Inter-Ministerial Decree 6th of August 1993	Modifications to the protection measures of the marine nature reserve named "Isole Egadi"	
Ministerial Decree 17th of May 1996	Modifications of the regulations of access in zone B of the reserve opposite Marittimo Island, in the marine nature reserve "Isole Egadi"	
Ministerial Decree 12th of December 1997	Establishment of the nature marine protected reserve named "Porto Cesareo"	
Ministerial Decree 12th of December 1997	Establishment of the nature marine protected area named "Isole di Ventotene e Santo Stefano"	
Ministerial Decree 12th of December 1997	Establishment of the nature marine protected area named "Punta Campanella"	
Ministerial Decree 13th of June 2000	Modification to the decree of the Minister of the Environment dated 12th of December 1997 of the institution of the nature marine protected area named "Punta Campanella"	
Ministerial Decree 12th of December 1997	Establishment of the nature marine protected area named "Tavolara - Punta Coda Cavallo"	
Ministerial Decree 28th of November 2001	Ratification of the decree establishing the nature marine protected area named "Tavolara - Punta Coda Cavallo"	
Ministerial Decree 12th of December 1997	Establishment of the nature marine protected area named "Cinque Terre"	
Ministerial Decree 26th of April 1999	Establishment of the nature marine protected area named  "Portofino"	
Ministerial Decree 3rd of August 1999 (integrally substitute of that of the 15th of September 1998)	Modification to the Ministerial decree establishing the nature marine protected area named "Capo Carbonara"	
Ministerial Decree 6th of September 1999	Coordinated Text of the Ministerial decrees 12th of December 1997 and 22nd of July 1999 concerning the establishment of the nature marine protected area named "Penisola del Sinis - Isola di Mal di Ventre"	
Ministerial Decree 29th of November 2000	Establishment of the nature marine protected area named "Secche di Tor Paterno"	
Ministerial Decree 19th of February 2002 (integrally replacing the I.M.D. of 27th of December 1991)	Modification of the Inter-Ministerial decree 27th of December 1991, establishing the nature marine reserve named "Capo Rizzuto"	
Ministerial Decree 24th of July 2002	Establishment of the marine protected area named "Capo Gallo - Isola delle Femmine"	
Inter-Ministerial Decree 7th of August 2002	Establishment of the submerged park located in the waters of "Baia", in the Gulf of Pozzuoli	
Inter-Ministerial Decree 7th of August 2002	Establishment of the submerged park located in the waters of "Gaiola", in the Gulf of Naples	
Ministerial Decree 13th of August 2002	Establishment of the marine protected area named "Isola dell'Asinara"	
Ministerial Decree 20th of September 2002	Establishment of the marine protected area named "Capo Caccia – Isola Piana"	
Ministerial Decree 21st of October 2002	Establishment of the marine protected area named "Isole Pelagie"	

Source: internet web site of the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory (www.minambiente.it)

4.2 The Establishment

The areas of particular naturalistic value to be made Marine Protected Areas, the so-called retrieval areas, are identified by Act n. 979 of December 31st 1982 (regarding sea protection) and by Act n.394 of the 6th of December 1991 and the following modifications and integrations (Framework Act on Protected Areas) that state also the procedures for the creation of the Marine Protected Areas.
The Marine Protected Areas are instituted with an appropriate measure which envisages the determining of the marine areas and the marine state properties forming the surface of the areas; the scientific, cultural, economic and educational purposes for which the protected area was established; study and scientific research plans as well as revaluation programs to be implemented within the area; the regulations of the marine protected area by specifying the forbidden, partially limited or authorised activities.
The Marine Protected Areas established up to the 31st of December 2003 (n.23) are the following:

•	CAPO CACCIA – ISOLA PIANA
•	CAPO CARBONARA 
•	CAPO GALLO – ISOLA DELLE FEMMINE
•	CAPO RIZZUTO
•	CINQUE TERRE
•	ISOLE CICLOPI
•	ISOLA DELL’ASINARA
•	ISOLA DI USTICA
•	ISOLE DI VENTOTENE E SANTO STEFANO
•	ISOLE EGADI
•	ISOLE PELAGIE (LAMPEDUSA, LINOSA, LAMPIONE)
•	ISOLE TREMITI
•	MIRAMARE
•	PARCO SOMMERSO DI BAIA
•	PARCO SOMMERSO DI GAIOLA
•	PENISOLA DEL SINIS – ISOLA DI MAL DI VENTRE
•	PORTO CESAREO
•	PORTOFINO
•	PUNTA CAMPANELLA
•	SANTUARIO PER I MAMMIFERI MARINI
•	SECCHE DI TOR PATERNO
•	TAVOLARA – PUNTA CODA CAVALLO
•	TORRE GUACETO

To this area, we must add 2 National Parks (the Tuscan Archipelago and the Archipelago of the Maddalena) which embody a part of marine area.

4.3 The Management

The management of the Marine Protected Area is entrusted, with a special measure, to public utility companies, scientific institutions or approved environmental associations, also linked to each other in a consortium.
The authority in charge of the management of marine protected areas is supported by the Reserve Committee which formulates proposals and suggestions for all activities which involve the functioning of the areas. In particular, the Committee expresses an opinion on the implementing regulation of the establishing decree, on the organisation of the protected area and the projected management expenditures.
The Committee is named with the decree of the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory and has the following settlement:

•	President: a representative designated by the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory.
•	Members: harbour master (or one of his delegates), two representatives of the coastal towns (appointed by the Municipal authorities), a representative of the Regions involved, a representative of the economic and productive categories for each Province that borders on the reserve (chosen by the Chamber of Commerce), two experts appointed by the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory with regards to the establishing purposes of the reserve, a member of the most representative environmental associations chosen by the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory, a representative of the Education Offices, a representative of the Administration for the Cultural and Environmental Assets and a representative of the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory.

4.4 The Levels of Protection in the Marine Protected Areas

Usually, the Marine Protected Area is divided in three separate zones with a different protection level that regulates, even though it does not envisage an absolute limit to the traditional activities related to the sea (first of all fishing and tourism), the carrying out based on the different conservation requirements. These three categories are:

-	Zone "A" of integral reserve
-	Zone "B" of general reserve
-	Zone "C" of partial reserve

The zone of integral reserve (A) is that usually banned to all activities that can damage or disturb the marine environment. The Zone A, grants the protection of biodiversity and the repopulation of animal and vegetable species, and thus it imposes, very often, “no bathing” and “no navigation”, allowing only scientific research activities.
On the border of the integral protection zone, there is the area of general reserve (B) that combines the conservation of the environmental heritage with a compatible use of the marine environment. In zone “B”, generally, bathing, guided tours, scuba diving, navigation (sailing, rowing or reduced speed), mooring and anchorage in limited areas is approved by the Marine Protected Area Authority. The fishing activities allowed are generally limited to the professional activities carried out by residents, while sport fishing, when allowed, is strictly regulated. Underwater fishing is strictly forbidden.
Usually the zone of general reserve is contained by a zone of partial reserve (C) that can be considered as a stopgap area between the zones of greatest naturalistic value and the external part of the marine protected area. Here all the activities with a low environmental impact, such as navigation of motorboats (usually with a reduced speed), mooring,  anchorage and sport fishing are allowed and regulated by the managing authority.
It is essential to point out that the limits and bans in the different zones are precisely defined and identified by the establishing decrees of the Marine Protected Areas, that keep in consideration each peculiarity, feature and need.

5 THE CONDITION OF ACCESSIBILITY TO MARINE PROTECTED AREAS

In the framework of the project “Parks for all – Marine Protected Areas: accessibility for people with disabilities”, surveys were carried out on the conditions of accessibility and usability of the Marine Protected Areas by using a questionnaire (checklist) especially created and sent to managing authorities of Marine Protected Areas to be filled out. The checklist questions were divided in three different groups: accessibility of structures, accessibility of services, and the specific regulations related to the accessibility for a wide audience in the establishing decrees and rules of the Marine Protected Areas.
We analysis now the two categories.

	Facilities
Through the survey we obtained an accurate list of the existing facilities and collected  data on their accessibility. The following types of facilities were taken into consideration: Marine Protected Area Main Office, Local Offices, Visitors Information Centres, Environmental Education Centres, Study And Research Centres, Park housing, museums, aquariums, botanical gardens, tree orchards, Wildlife Preserves, Animal Recovery Centres, rest areas, lookout points.
Results highlighted by the survey are the following.

•	Marine Protected Areas Main Offices 
Eight offices of the Marine Protected Areas Authority (45 %) are usable by a wider range of people.

•	Additional Structures in the Territory of the Towns within the Marine Protected Areas 
Data analysis resulted in a list of 56 structures inside the Marine Protected Areas: 53 of them are accessible (59% of the total structures). 

•	Usable Routes in the Territory of the Towns within the Marine Protected Areas 
	Through the checklist it was possible to identify the routes accessible also to people with mobility or sensory limitations, as well as a description of the routes, such as the starting and arrival points, average covering times and the presence of a periodical maintenance. In detail 4 Marine Protected Areas (25%) declared to have at least an accessible route for a wider range of people, 12 (75%) instead do not have accessible routes. Overall, among 16 Marine Protected Areas there are 5 accessible routes for a wide audience.

•	Tourist Harbours/Tourist Moors in the Territory of the Towns within the Marine Protected Areas 
8 Marine Protected Areas (50%) declared the presence of a port in the area, while 8 protected areas do not have a port. From the information collected through the checklist it was furthermore possible to establish that out of 35 tourist ports/tourist moors declared, 15 are accessible for a wide audience (43%) .

•	Tourist Facilities (Seaside Resorts, Camping, Hotels and Farmhouses) Accessible/Visitable in the Territory of the Town within the Marine Protected Areas 
	From the data analysis it resulted that 12 Marine Protected Areas offer accessible/visitable tourist facilities for a wide audience. 

Services
The questions for this section of the checklist were aimed to emphasize the services available and, secondly, their usability for a wide audience.

•	Maritime Transport System for Tourist Purposes to visit the Marine Protected Areas fully equipped to welcome People on Wheelchairs
From the collected information, it results that 3 Marine Protected Areas (19%) declared the presence of transport systems fully equipped also for an enlarged use.

•	Boat Rental Service Suitable also for People on Wheelchairs 
The analysed data allow to quantify as 1 (6%) the Marine Protected Areas that declare the presence of boat rental services accessible to a wide audience.

•	Scuba Diving Centres also for People with Mobility or Sensory Limitations 
6 Marine Protected Areas (38%) offer this service.

•	Medical Service
All the Marine Protected Areas declare the presence of at least a medical service unit.

•	Guided Tour Services 
7 Marine Protected Areas (44%) declared to provide visitors with guided tour services in 2003. and to offer guided tours accessible also to people with mobility impairments.

•	Information Services (help-desk)  
10 Marine Protected Areas (62%) offer an informative service (help-desk) that provides indications on the accessibility and usability of the area also for a wide audience.

•	WEB Information Service 
1 Marine Protected Area (6%) declares to provide the public through internet also with regards to the accessibility and general usability of the area.

•	Informative Documents on the Accessibility and Usability of Marine Protected Areas for a Wide Audience 
By informative documents we refer to any publication (books, CD-Rom, etc) or other promotional material such as brochures, maps, or thematic maps with specific indications  regarding the accessibility of the Marine Protected Areas for people with mobility and sensory limitations. In particular, 1 Marine Protected Area (6%) printed at least one publication on the accessibility and usability for a wider range of people.

•	Environmental Education Service 
9 Marine Protected Areas (56%) declare that they offer environmental education services usable also by a wide audience. The widest number of users who take advantage of such programmes is made up of elementary and secondary school students.

•	Vocational Training 
With regards to the training and the professional development of their employees or staff on the accessibility and the usability of the Marine Protected Areas and the activities carried out within by people with sensory and mobility limitations, two Marine Protected Areas (13%) declared to have carried out at least one training session on the specific issue or in any case on the discussed arguments. 

•	Resolutions Regarding Accessibility 
5 Marine Protected Areas (31%) declared to have come to a solution with regards to the promotion or realisation of projects aimed to favour the accessibility and the usability of parks for people with disabilities.

•	Subject Census 
From the analysis of the checklists, it appears that only one Marine Protected Area (6%) carried out a census of the subjects that provide assistance to people with mobility and sensory limitations.

6 THE ROLE AND THE STRATEGIES OF THE ITALIAN MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND PROTECTION OF THE TERRITORY IN THE PROTECTION AND VALORISATION SYSTEM OF MARINE PROTECTED AREAS.

In order to single out the Central Administration’s role and strategies in the framework of the management of Marine Protected Areas, it is helpful to remember either the competences that the Administration is endowed with or the working and the nature of the protected areas taken into consideration.
According to Art 18 of the Act 394/91, the establishment of Marine Protected Areas is set by the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory, along with the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
While the provisions of Act 979 of December the 31st 1982 ('provisions on sea protection') were in force, the establishment – at the time, under the competence of the Ministry of Navy - of marine protected areas occurred basically for protection purposes, safeguard and regulation of marine activities carried out in bathing areas and in the proximity of the shores.
In 1993, when the Ministry of Navy was abolished, its functions were acquired by the former Ministry of the Environment, now Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory whose competences were extend also to the protection of coastal areas, in order to have a more complete view of the needs and objectives to be implemented towards the achievement of a more effective protection (i.e. problems linked to coastal water pollution from residential and industrial settlements and to the management of sea purification).
Finally, considering the recent inner re-organization of the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory, the functions concerning the identification, the establishment and the management of Marine Protected Areas have been conferred to the General Directorate for Nature Protection of the same Ministry; its role is to set and control parks and nature reserves of national interest.
The position of both the Legislator and the Government, was thus aimed at realizing a unique system for the protection of marine and land ecosystems and also for the definition of management objectives.
In particular, the management of a marine protected area, nowadays more than in the past, is integrated with the management of coast and surrounding areas, whether these are protected or not.
According to Art. 21 of Act 394/91, the supervision of the management of Marine Protected Areas is thus entrusted to the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory, as they are nature areas of national interest.
The management, by a Decree of the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory, after consulting Regions and the interested local authorities, is committed to public authorities, scientific institutions or recognized associations, through an ad hoc convention to be signed by the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory. According to Art.28 of Act n. 979/1982, to which expressively refers art.20 of Act 394/1991, a Commission has established next to each single competent Port Authority and appointed by the Decree of the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory. The role of this commission is to support the MPA managing bodies; it advances proposals and advices on all MPA activities, giving, in particular, its opinion even on processing fee decisions. The Art. 19, subsection 5, of Act. n. 394/1991 rules out that the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory shall approve, through a 	decree, a regulation which set prohibitions and possible exceptions, according to the level of protection of an area. Nothing is actually envisaged regarding the procedure for adopting and setting such regulation, despite it represents a relevant tool for the management of the protected area. It replaces partially the art. 28 of Act n. 979/1982, where it is envisaged that the Reserve Commission, set by the Port Authority, “express its own opinion on the proposal for the regulation of execution of the establishing decree and on the reserve organization as well”.
The Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory is expressively prompted by the Legislator to promote and co-ordinate all the activities of protection, safeguard, research and valorisation of the sea and its resources and to ensure the achievement of targets for each area (art. 28 Act on December 31st  1982 n. 979).
Considering the relevant role conferred to the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory in achieving the aims of the area, it must be considered equally incisive and outstanding the action of the Central Administration for the management of the area itself, for which it is not exclusively competent of the supervision and control over the legitimacy, but also for the strategies and objectives. The Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory is, in particular, called to promote, for the System of Marine Protected Areas, proper plan agreements with  Central and Local Administration Authorities, for the development of sustainable economic actions. Sea preservation not only meant as marine environment’s safeguard and sea and coastal protection from pollution, but also as promotion and valorisation of marine resources.
That being said ,we must consider  that ,even if precise and direct rules concerning  National Parks activities on accessibility already exist ,also the Marine Protected Areas, thanks to administrative directives recently issued by the Ministry, can work for  wide usability of Marine Protected Areas. Besides, as the project ”Parks for All” (of which this research is an integral part) testified, the Central Administration acted to identify programs and activities and to determine directions and guidelines with the purpose of steering and stimulate the MPA managing bodies to provide services and facilities that can make easier to a wide audience (included people with disabilities, elderly people and children) the usability of these areas, even though under the viewpoint of the eco-sustainable development.
To this purpose, Act 104 on February 1992 the 5th, prescribes at the art. 1 that the Republic, meant in all its Government Administrations, “prepares interventions aimed at overcoming marginalization and exclusion of handicapped person”. According to the subsequent art. 5, the Legislator has expressively envisaged objectives in order to remove all impairing causes, the promotion of the autonomy and the achievement of a full social integration.
.As to public works, the investigation of compliance with the regulation on architectural barriers' removal is up to the competent administration authorities, which state in the project approval’s phase
In detail, the Legislator, through the art.23-subsection 3, declares that the state concessions for bathing facilities and their renewal concessions are subordinated to facilities visitability and to the effective accessibility to sea by “handicapped” persons.
The Municipality and the other deputed authorities , without discretion, is literally hampered from releasing state concessions whereas the plants project do not envisage the wide usability of the project themselves. 
It means that the management authorities of Marine Protected Areas, as addressed by the Central Administration, can play a proper supervision role, for example towards Municipal Administrations called for a direct intervention on concessions, and generally, on getting over the architectural barriers at issue.
Finally, in coherence with the Legislator’s orientation to give ever-growing importance to this issue, the Legislation Collection (which the Presidential Decree n. 380 on June 2001 the 6th  on legislative and regulation disposition for building matter, refers to) dedicated a whole chapter to disposition aiming at ease the overcoming of architectural barriers in building open to the public.
In particular, the Legislator decrees that “interventions which aims at eliminating architectural barriers without involving the setting-up of ramps or outdoor elevators, thus handmade works which do not modify the building outer shape” may be carried out without any qualification degree. 
The Legislator also envisages that “all works carried out in private or public buildings, and not complying with the legislation in force on accessibility and elimination of architectural barriers, and not accessible for handicapped persons, are declared not available” (art. 82-subsection 6, of the Presidential Decree 380/2001).
From the above mentioned dispositions it is evident that, by the Central Administration, may come indications, guidelines regarding the management of Marine Protected Areas; this management strategy involves the fulfilment and the necessary respect of the4 different rules for the usability of environment, the provided facilities and services .
As shown above, the Legislator put direct and indirect responsibility towards the Central Administration, regarding all  the addressing and management activities of Marine Protected Areas.
Infact, these fast growing protected areas, whose establishment is earlier than national parks, play a strategic role especially for the protection and the valorisation of huge areas, including seas and coasts, that are, especially in summer time, subject to a strong tourist influx, so that they are called for providing the expected usability quality, which is laid down by the rules in point.
The Central Administration must provide directions and guidelines to Marine Protected Areas and verify that they carry out a management strategy in compliance with them. The Marine Protected Areas themselves shall also secure the observance of the rules through their competences, and , at the same time ,drive other administrations  to provide realization of  actions through their competences.  
Setting these strategies, it is important to underline the need for the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory to co-ordinate its action through a lasting confrontation, even with the provision of proper discussion table, with stakeholders representatives, in particular of children, elderly and people with disabilities.
In this view, the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory, aware of the importance of Marine Protected Areas, and of their increasing role in the economic-social development  of the country, sets out the following strategies to promote Marine Protected Areas accessibility and usability even by people with mobility impairments:

•	Promote, even through ad hoc training courses, the knowledge - by all employees and staff which works in the system of the natural protected areas, and in particular within the Marine Protected Areas- of people with disabilities needs, and of all the issues concerning the accessibility and the usability of the areas themselves.
•	Assure, with specific assistance programs, that the communication and information on accessibility and usability of facilities and services in the Marine Protected Areas is adequate and provided  with formats accessible to all.
•	Stimulate the check and the monitoring - to be carried out by the Marine Protected Areas' management authorities - of programmes, services and existing structures in order to determine the present rate of usability by a wide audience.
•	Undertake to be carried out by the Marine Protected Areas' management authorities, the necessary actions to grant the overcoming of identified barriers ,even binding some of the allocated resources and providing ,at the same time, the respective technical assistance.
•	Stimulate the management authorities to Select, using targeted projects, proper integrated systems for sea and land mobility in order to match the needs of a wide audience. 
•	Single out and outline channels to finance the implementation of specific long-term action plans and interventions, aiming at enhancing accessibility and usability within each single area.
•	Give ,however,  in the assessment of the interventions to be financed, a priority level to those aiming at guarantee an easy usability of services and facilities within the Marine Protected Areas. 
•	Promote, by envisaging proper grants, feasibility surveys even of international comparison, aiming at single out modalities to overcome different specific problems in comparable areas.
•	Promote programme agreements, conventions and partnerships which aim at single out, implement and finance projects for the enlarged and eco-compatible usability of the Mediterranean sea and coasts.

7 CRITERIA AND GUIDELINES FOR THE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITIES TO PROVIDE  ACCESSIBILITY TO MARINE PROTECTED AREAS.

Our country, more than others, has a huge natural, historical, archaeological heritage, with a great cultural value.This heritage is the richest and the most important of the whole world and, therefore, it is an important financial resource, but unfortunately still unemployed. 
It’s only some time since the State seems to have been realized that the preservation and the enhancement of this heritage can be an important  engine for the home production that will, in short time, increase induced or direct resources of a great importance. So, the opportunity of an “integrated conservation” policy is starting together with the economical, cultural, environmental and territorial policies. This policy considers the cultural and naturalistic heritage as a special, not renewable resource, promotes its maintenance  and repairs, and its valorisation for a public and a social use. It is essential ,for this reason, that even the huge environmental and naturalistic heritage of our country could be preserved, but, at the same time, could be strengthened in many respects. From this point of view, one of the most important and strategic aspect, in our opinion, could be constituted by the increase of the “quality standards”, the strengthening of the “environmental comfort’s” characteristics, the safety and the comfortable usability of sites and facilities by all the citizens. In this case, it could be possible to them to achieve a better “visitability” of the areas and the districts with an environmental, historical, archaeological interest. It is useful, for this purpose, to remember that by “visitability”, in accordance to the definition of the Ministerial Decree n.236/89, art.2, we mean also the possibility for people with mobility and/or sensorial impairments, to easily access to and use the “relation areas”, that are those places (inside work, service, meeting places) in which “the citizen acquaints with the function carried out” and consequently even with those naturalistic areas that have a particular environmental value. With regard to these areas, strengthening the “visitability” and the environmental comfort, even elderly people, that usually get tired easily and therefore have a scanty independence, and those who have, permanent or temporary, reduced mobility and/or sensorial capacity (arthritic, cardiopathic, obese individuals etc.) could  widely utilize this important cultural and naturalistic heritage.
This aim can and must be gained through proper restoration and safeguard operations of areas and buildings, that provide, among other things, for works targeted to the compliance with the legislation in force about accessibility and removal of architectonical barriers. 
The segment of the population interested in this aspect, more or less considerably, represents a substantial percentage, that is over one fifth of the whole population. Are obvious, therefore, the aftermaths due to the presence of environmental barriers or various kind of obstacles, and these aftermaths occur again to the detriment of an easy and safe usability of the areas and the districts of particular naturalistic and environmental value.
It necessary, hence, although the right respect of the specific places’ identities, to design and identify operational strategies targeted, besides to the maintenance and the enhancement of the existing heritage, also to make it more easily walkable and “visitable” by the population, at the maximum extent. All that, realizing all those useful integrations and transformations that can successfully fulfil the rising needs, without demean the identity of all the sites at issue.
The difficulties we can run into ,while we walk and enjoy these areas, that often are very vast, are generally caused by walking for hundreds of meters (hectometric distance), even through paths heterogeneous and uncomfortable for everybody, and by overcoming gaps due to the different levels of the different sites or  buildings within the same areas. These troubles are strengthen by some peculiar  state of the atmosphere (rain, hot weather, etc.).
The aim of an improvement of the “visitability” can be pursued identifying among the routes of greatest importance, those that, as a matter of fact, are smoothly walkable, that is without physical obstacles (architectonical barriers), to  which send all visitors. It is a question of avoiding haunters, where is it possible, the difficulties that they can usually find walking on a path (borders or steps, stretches with excessive slopes, projections and slippery or irregular or even loose floorings, often made by not coplanar stony materials). For all these reasons, in  fact, it doesn’t seem logic or either practical that the usability of these places should coincide with stepping on them, provoking uncomfortable or dangerous situations.
Actually the different difficulties that we can run into these areas add to and intersect each other  and make the tours very difficult for a lot of people.
We are often in front of very sensitive and dangerous places even for the average visitor, where there are sometimes situations not easy to safeguard and where hardly can be insertable, in a right way, whatever works and facilities, because they can cause troubles or damages. For this reason, sometimes, can be effective, for our aims, to identify along the paths suggested for a tour, places or positions suitable for a panoramic view.
From this point of view, it seems right to strengthen as much as possible the usability of places, in terms of grasp of the environmental/naturalistic site, that is of its morphological, stratigraphical, historical, cultural structure, etc.
The good stance of thinking about an easier usability of these places, it’s fortunately taking its first steps. This is happening also because of  the slow, but relentless, process of growth of an “accessibility culture”, that is the push to the aim of equal opportunity or equality for all the citizens. However, since its issuing in 1971, the law n.118, art.27, prescribed that ”It can’t be forbidden disabled persons  the admittance to any public place”.
It’s clear that, if this kind of cultural approach was been more developed even for natural protected areas, in time, should have been done all the corrections. However, the proper administrative and organizational/managerial measures and directions should have been issued to ease the usability of the areas even for elderly or with disabilities people.
Unfortunately, instead, for too much time the laws on accessibility were interpreted in a wrong and superficial way. In most cases, in fact, it was argued that the law’s obligations and prescriptions to the administrations concerned in a wide usability of spaces and “bound” buildings, couldn’t be  considered in this way, because they are detrimental of the “protected heritage” that, however, must be safeguarded.
But “safeguard” doesn’t mean “untouchability”, crystallization of buildings, no respect of law’s obligations.
For decades anything was done so that buildings “bound” by the famous 1939 laws, could be more comfortable, and for this reason they are for a lot of people, because of their characteristics, totally inaccessible.
The action of demolition of this absurd and arbitrary interpretive theory officially began by the issuing of the law n.13/1989, and in particular by the writing of the art. 4 and 5. After this, the law n.104/1992, art.4, par. 2 defined some basic concepts.
Nowadays, the recent D.P.R. n. 503, 07/24/1996 clarified, finally, that any departure from the application of the provision doesn’t concern, in any case, the “performance characteristics” of usability. Therefore, they must be provided to people with mobility impairments, even inside buildings with a great historical value and even in interesting natural areas.
Of great importance for the point at issue, is the article n.4 of the already mentioned D.P.R., that completed the previous provision and abrogated the D.P.R. n.384/78, because it was outdated and difficult to apply. The article 4, in fact, stated some planning criteria to adjust accessibility and visitability of public spaces and areas as well as urbanization works with a pedestrian use(squares, routes, gardens, etc.). In these cases, in which also the natural protected areas are involved, must be provided accessible routes that allow even people with reduced mobility or with sensorial impairments, ”the use of services, social relations and the environmental usability”.
To pursue these aims, that cannot be given up, the D.P.R. n.503/96 itself suggests, as an alternative to the arrangement of not always advisable ramps, the use of the “lifting facilities”, such as lifts, elevator platforms, etc.
All that, obviously, is suggested as a useful indicative standard of design. In a lot of cases, in fact, bad discoveries were made regarding solutions for the overcoming of gaps, when were provided pedestrian ramps or sloping routes of an extreme length, that cause strain. In some cases of adjustment, installations of devices such as chair lifts were chosen. Such solutions, as a matter of fact, are not gladly used by elderly people or by people with mobility impairments in public areas, because they represent a factor of discrimination and marginalization, often difficult to manage. 
On the basis of such considerations it seems useful to suggest, briefly, some guidelines to plan the adjustment and  rationalization operations for natural protected areas :
•	locate and show effectively one or more entrances to marine protected area, that can be easily used (accessible) by everybody. They must be close to parking lots reserved to people with disabilities’ car and, where possible, to stops for group means of transport;
•	gear, inside these areas, one or more pedestrian routes to allow people with reduced mobility and sensorial capability an easier usability;
•	locate, along those routes, resting areas every 50-100 meters with seating systems or “ischial supports” and, if possible, in a well-sheltered or covered place; 
•	provide facilities and services such as telephones, fountains, informative systems, refreshment bars, shadow areas, sanitary fixtures, that can be completely usable;
•	locate and prefer panoramic paths and points, with seating systems, from which it is possible to enjoy extremely interesting sights; 
•	provide, during stretches of trail with a steep slope, such as stairs, steps or altimetrical ledges, strong handrails easy to grasp in both sides;
•	in front of remarkable differences in level to be overcome, proper lifting facilities such as lifts and/or elevator platforms could be provided: they can be installed indoor or outdoor on condition that they are put on a protected place; 
•	it’s necessary to provide museums etc., characterized by long tours, near the entrance or parking lots, with an “assistance service “ for people with mobility impairments, even by the use of small electrical means of transports (electro-scooters) and/or electric vehicles for 3 or 4 persons (club cars), even conduced, if required, by an operator in charge (see what has  been made in Villa d’Este, Tivoli).
To sum up, we are extremely sure that there isn’t an aprioristic incompatibility between environmental and natural heritage and the application of rules and criteria to responsibly allow its widespread usability. The safeguard of “bound areas and buildings” must concern the individual in all his different conformations and peculiarities, not only sites and buildings as such.
A right restoration and a working safeguard of the precious naturalistic and environmental resources, that we have, must also provide the creation of places suitable to increase relations between individuals with different needs, and try to provide equal opportunities to all the people.
That being said, regarding Marine Protected Areas, it is helpful to suggest some methodological and operative indications capable of identifying the main activities to be promoted in order to achieve a wide usability as much as possible.
These actions, depending on the case, should always be introduced by a confrontation phase with the representatives of interested categories.
The main actions to this aim, should focus on:
-	assure an assessment on the level of accessibility/usability of  places, facilities and services of Marine Protected Areas, with particular emphasis to the sea, together with the localisation of existing barriers;
-	assure that the endorsing regulation of the decree which establishes and organizes the area, as a management tool, must include among the prescriptions, those involved to ensure the widest usability of the area;
-	plan all required interventions for the overcoming of obstacles and, in particular, assure that all new works and interventions on the existing heritage, on all facilities and programmes of the marine protected area, included those  offered by external providers (for instance state concessions for seaside services), are planned and realised providing the widest usability;
-	give, within the assessment process of interventions to be implemented, the priority to those which secure an easy usability of facilities and services within the territory of Marine Protected Areas;
-	realize proper ways of communication, information and training which are essential to achieve a widespread conscience on accessibility issues towards sea, territory, facilities and services;	
-	undertake to support programmes and projects, also with the collaboration of interested public and private bodies, to secure both social and employment integration of people with disabilities;
-	activate any european and national potential financing sources, also by establishing partnerships, in order to integrate or substitute the grants made available by the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory and to realize the required interventions in the area.
“In carrying out the different actions in point, it must be reminded that it is not important the achievement of an unlikely extreme accessibility, but rather the achievement of an effective visitability of places, such as panoramic views of peculiar interest, through existing accessible paths or alternative transport systems (electro scooters, club cars, etc.)” (F.Vescovo, Convegno di Norcia 2003).
The Marine Protected Areas' Management Authorities may, thus, identify their own planning activities or others to be carried out together with Central Administration Authorities or peripheral(other surrounding protected areas, local bodies and regional administrations), in order to reduce difficulties or obstacles and thus the existing illegitimacies against the generalized fruition of the environment .

7.1 Usability of Structures

Marine Protected Areas’ Structures

Through an analysis of checklists sent to subjects managing the Marine Protected Areas, it emerges that 33 structures are usable (accessible or visitable) to a wide audience. This reveals the need to intervene through projects aiming at the adjustment of the existing structures and at the planning and implementation of new structures which satisfy the requirements of common usability for a wide audience.
“When we talk about parks or naturalistic areas it seems proper to us not to use the official definition of “accessibility” but the definition of ”usability”, the widest possible, of these peculiar heritages, of these “valuable areas”. It doesn’t mean to allow everybody to use every place in every environmental situation; this is absurd and even inappropriate also because of obvious security reasons. It is necessary, instead, to have the practical aim of allowing the widest segment of people (and, consequently, also people with a reduced mobility or with sensorial impairment) a narrower but tangible “visitability”, at least of the most interesting and significant  places. This means to organize and realize different and proper works, adjustments and devices, on territory and also to provide a careful and responsible management, after realizing all the different needs of the possible users, even of those who can have, temporary or permanent, mobility or sensorial impairments .
These people must be enabled to use at their best all the resources and opportunities that these peculiar portion of the environment can offer. It’s clear that the law’s obligation to remove architectonical obstacles refers to the built environment such as buildings, squares, routes, etc. Obviously, however, the purposes of the measures in force are  those  to allow everybody the widest freedom of choice, according to the essential and unavoidable direction to equal opportunities.
The different former normative documents (L.118/71, art.27; D.P.R. 384/78; L.394/91; L.104/92; D.P.R.503/96) tried to point out more and more an informative notion: each work realized by the human being must be easily usable for everybody. So, even the actions of  adjusting or maintenance of buildings, works, and also spaces and areas not enclosed, must be rethought and organized keeping in mind also the needs of “real people”, that are very different between them. The notion of making a park, an outdoor space, a naturalistic area “visitable” by everybody, that is usable at least in its essential parts or in its characteristical portions, according to the legislation in force about public or open to public areas, it’s relatively new. However people with mobility or sensorial limitations or impairments, because of the old age or negative events, don’t expect the impossible, don’t want an “extreme “accessibility of the areas, such as for instance to cross through rough and difficult trails or to climb smoothly mountains or slopes. They demand instead, even more strongly and consciously, that could be allowed to them to access, to” plunge into” and to enjoy these marvellous natural areas”. (F.Vescovo, Convegno di Norcia 2003)

Hosting-Tourist Structures

The usability of Marine Protected Areas can also involve, in case of long tours, the opportunity to use the hosting structures (hotels, campings, touristic villages etc.) present within the interested area. So, it’s in the interest of the MPA managing bodies that even visitors with disabilities or with different needs can find in these structures fair conditions to their requirements. These managing bodies, with the purpose of promoting the increase of users in this field, can plan proper promotion and aid programs either on a business or a structural level, that the managers of the hosting structures can use to adjust their structures. We can also point out, in this extent, that also the agricultural tourism structures can have a great importance in order to have the possibility of visiting parks and ,generally speaking, natural protected areas.

7.2 Usability of Trails

The analysis of the checklists fulfilled by Marine Protected Areas' Authorities stressed that only 5 routes/paths are accessible to a wide audience, out of all present within the territory of the municipalities which belong to the areas. 
We hereon try to provide some operational indications to plan and realize the accessible trails.

•	Guide to Visit of Marine Protected Areas

The basic information system of a protected area is the visit and/or information centre, that is essential in providing the visitor(and in particular people with disabilities) with all the correct information on the area. It must provide all the informations on the directions to be taken and it must make him/her aware of the characteristics and difficulties of the trails, such as durations, length, slope, soil conditions, difficulties to overcome (bridge, streams etc.), distance of the arriving and intermediate points.
The visitors must be provided, from the very beginning, with an easy guide extremely useful to facilitate an amusing trail fruition, thanks to the previous knowledge of the difficulties which people with disabilities in particular must face.
The information on the type of shoes, wheelchairs, clothes to adopt in relation to the route to cover, may reveal themselves fundamental to a correct visit and fruition of the protected area. Each person, finally, thanks to given information, may be therefore put in the conditions to correctly self assess his/her capacities according to the starting route. 
The position of panels, signs etc., is of outstanding importance and should not be too high, from the ground, eventually with inclination variations of the reading plan; all this to ease the reading of children and adults.
Characters and drawings on panels should be strongly marked as against the background, in order to back the reading of persons with sight impairments. 
As we referred in the other part of the chapter, maps, labels, tables, panels, models on scale should be realized to be “readable” also through other senses besides sight. The information could be transmitted also through acoustical means (audio-tapes, acoustical signals, recorded messages throughout the area) and in touchable version, thus through drawings and writing in relief or in Braille. Messages which can be touched, smelled or heard may guide persons with visual impairments, allowing them a proper fruition of the surrounding environment.
The sense of smell can be stimulated, through the creation of areas full of smelling essences; whilst a touchable guide may be also given to recognize the vegetation.
Rope or wood ground guides, spaced with particular incisions, may help blind people in walking  and getting their bearings, ease the walk of tired elderly people, while offering to whatever visitor the chance to stimulate senses different than the sight, enjoying new  and good sensations through the abovementioned hearing, touchable and smelling signals.

•	Parkings

First of all, each interested natural area should be provided with proper parking areas, in order to make the area reachable by people with disabilities, through private and public means of transport. At the same time, every accessible path should start from a parking area for the means of transports placed at people with mobility impairment’s disposal.

•	Services for the Visitor

The services, such as telephone booths, sanitary fittings, equipped resting areas, guest remedies, must be designed for all with the aim of realizing the widest usability. In fact even if the real bounds of places it’s not possible to realize a full accessibility, it’s however of a great importance to promote at least their visitability, that is make  usable at least the places among the areas that have a greater value. From this point of view, we recommend the MPA managing bodies to provide alternative means of transport that can answer the needs of people with mobility impairments or with autonomy problems. To this aim, different types of vehicles such as electric or natural gas minibuses with elevator platform or electric vehicles with 3 or 4 seats(club cars), normally utilized on golf-greens, or the extremely useful single-seat electro-scooters with 3 or 4 wheels, can be used.

•	Overcoming Gaps and Distances

Overcoming Distances

“To persons with mobility impairments, walking along trails of great extent (sometimes even few hundreds of meters) causes a great tiredness and discomfort; in many cases it’s a real “insurmountable” barrier for people with mobility difficulties and/or autonomy limitations. Such difficulties are made even worst by the fact that the grounds of natural routes often present discontinuity, with an unsteady altimetrical course or an irregular floor or bed. To this reason, it is essential to keep in mind everyone’s necessities and to provide for the overcoming of this kind of obstacle by the use of alternative means of transport, electric or not, according to the different situations. It’s interesting, to this regard, to make a reference to an important Ministry for Public Works’ Directive (Circ.Min. LL.PP. 06/13/1983. ”Guidelines for  the flow and  parking of means of transport for invalid people’s facilities”). As guiding criteria we can, for instance, imagine solutions that could consider the easy use, in sequence, of different kind of vehicles, with different characteristics and sizes (natural gas or electrical eco-minibuses, land rovers, club-cars, electro-scooters, etc.). In this case we can talk about micro-intermodality, that is the possibility to easily change from one mean to another without running into obstacles”. (F.Vescovo, Convegno di Norcia 2003)

Overcoming Gaps

“Obviously this aspect includes extremely varied cases and possibilities, because of  the different situations to solve. These are the necessity to overcome small gaps only with ramps or short slopes with a proper steep, such as the  necessity to overcome high level gaps by the use of proper devices or vehicles in any case accessible, that is mechanical devices as railways, cableways, inclined lifts, yard lifts, elevator platforms, etc. Often it is useful to imagine well-organized and complex solutions that can form a “system”, that is using a body of facilities, vehicles with different sizes and characteristics and technical devices that are able to reach the aim to pursue.
In many cases, to overcome the already described environmental troubles it must be allowed to people with mobility impairments the use of their private car, that, with due caution and care, allow to “conquer” panoramical or suggestive points or to “normally”  or easily use the general facilities and the services of the protected area (informative points, toilets, refreshment bars, etc.). (F.Vescovo, 2003)

•	Trails

The interaction of the territory of nature protected areas surely contributes to promote, to visitors, a new sensibility towards the environment and its values, regarding the natural issues and the historical-cultural ones. It is obviously a relevant opportunity, whose fruition  no one may and should be excluded from.
In this perspective, planning a route, a structure, a service inside a nature protected area must be realized not only considering  the economic and environmental aspects, but taking into account the expectations and psychophysical potentialities of users.
Therefore, MPA’ s trails should be easily usable and provided with directional and educational signage  to ease bearings  and the acquaintance  of the characteristics of the crossed area.
In particular, those trails are useful to reach “spaces and destinations valuable” because of environmental, botanical, faunistic, cultural-historical aspects.
These trails and paths mustn’t be designed only for people  with disabilities, but can be characterized by different levels of difficulty. For this reason there is the necessity to provide, along the route, with informative devices, so that each user can make his choices, based on his individual capacities.
For this reason, each usable trail must be placed close to a visit centre or at the entrance of the protected area, where a parking for authorized vehicles is available.
It can be interesting to provide trails presenting a ring profile (coincidence of the starting point with the arrival). From the main trail other trails can branch off, even less usable, on condition that they are well-indicated, to reach places of a particular interest. This is to allow a first approach to nature, above all to those who have not a great mobility autonomy, but want, in any case, to enjoy suggestive sensations and views, without being necessarily obliged to come back.
The rest areas must integrate the implementation of whatever route or path able to be defined as accessible. Such rest areas, possibly provided with shadow zones, must include, whereas points of particular naturalistic-environmental importance, information structures also for people with disabilities, while being at the same time places to rest, acknowledge and to meet with other visitors.
Fountains, benches, sanitary fittings, roofing, garbage cans, didactic panels must therefore constitute the equipment of each itinerary, when not of each resting area. People with disabilities must be provided with, besides the abovementioned structures, seats with back and armrest, sciatic leaning, leaning plans for various activities (reading, writing, eating, playing etc.).
To sum up once having located the route that fits even to people with disabilities, the interventions to make to provide  a basic accessibility are: 
-	create parking lots also for disabled people’s cars close to the start of the trail with an eventual exchange area equipped with alternative means of transport (electro-scooters, club cars, etc.) and, if possible, with sanitary fixtures for all;
-	remove all  the different obstacles along the path (roots, branches, depressions, etc.);
-	realize resting areas along the trail, provided with seating systems possibly covered;
-	place a sign system with informations regarding the length and difficulty of the trail, the position of resting areas, fountains and services. Place, along the path, even panels or tables made to give informations about the botanical, environmental, faunistic characteristics that are present in the area. For blind people, they can be written in Braille on inclined tables and/or on tactile maps. 

•	Ground Modifications

For the visitability of MPA, sometimes we could ponder on the likelihood to partially modify  the ground conformation of significant pedestrian routes.
For particularly significant paths, whereas foot coverage is advisable, the walking plan must present no irregularity, no obstacles, while being not slippery, compact and draining. If streams are present, we must prevent the soil from being eroded and becoming not accessible due to the water stagnation.
To this aim, draining layers and ground coverings should be implemented, with no modifications of the land’s slight slopes, maintaining the natural way of water run-off and  accumulating zones through the use of raised footboards or timber trunks properly fitted. As against river beds, escarpments or water courses, after a deep survey, footbridges may be placed. As against rocks and different obstacles, other routes will go around them, supporting the passage of people with serious mobility or sensory limitations.

	7.3 Usability of Services 

Promotion and sustainable development of a park can be based without a proper offer of services in the sectors of environmental education, guided visits, visitors information, reception, information and communication. Obviously, we must intervene on these fields, considering the needs as expressed by people with disabilities, elderly people, children, etc.. Within the following points, starting from the analysis of the checklists, as fulfilled by the authorities of the Marine Protected Areas, we highlighted for each examined service the existing situation, the required interventions, reporting where possible, in the text or notes, some indications to make the services available.
Services linked to the sea fruition, analogously  to what made in the previous paragraph with regards to the structures, will be treated in the following paragraph.

•	Staff Training and Refresh

In this sector, the analysis of the checklists offers un-comforting data, relating to the issues of accessibility for a wide audience. Only 2 Marine Protected Areas (13%) carried out at least a training course cycle on the topic. While only due to the active nature accorded by the points which precede to the responsibility of the park management, on the field of education and promotion of processes change, a strategic fundamental function must be recognised in the training, both of the external personnel and the interns, anyway involved in the management of the park’s “well being”.
By training, we do not simply mean the organization of events capable to enhance technical knowledge, which is quite essential. Rather we want to highlight the transforming and re-elaborating nature of training, which has to be a resource for the involved personnel in order to consolidate the role of animators of changing processes, that must be able to hold in the perspective of a park that represents not only an object of aesthetic amusement, but as an active subject of educational actions aimed to the local and national community.

•	Environmental Education

From the analysis of the checklists fulfilled by Marine Protected Areas' Authorities, it results that only 7 areas (44%) can offer a service of  usable environmental education.
Given the importance of the environmental education, for personal growth and cultural enhancement, and for the fruition and protection of natural areas, it is clear that environmental education  represents fundamental point for the activities carried out within the Marine Protected Areas, and for other nature protected areas as well. It is a service that has to be further implemented and made more inclusive, if we want to extend the right of participation and fruition to the largest number possible of users. 

•	Guided Tours 

Only 7 Marine Protected Areas (44%) are allegedly offering guided tours, usable by a wide audience. Even in this case, observations related to the environmental education issue and to the need to implement to the maximum extent such a service are valid.
It is observed how planning guided tours within the park shall always refer to not only cognitive objectives, but rather to objectives of change. Whether the result of the guided tours is only the increase of the visitor’s knowledge, probably a relevant part of the service’s potential is lost. In reality, guided tours must embody a discriminating experience for visitors, capable thus of distinguish a “before” and an “after”.
This is particularly true when the users are children and teenagers, fully involved in the construction of their view on the world and life. In absurd, more important than the passed knowledge are the emotions, empathies, essences that the guide is able to communicate.

•	Information Services for Visitors
 
10 Marine Protected Areas (62%) claim to have an information service providing information on the accessibility and usability of the territory by sensory or mobility impaired people.
Only 1 (6%) offers an information service through Internet, capable of providing indications on the usability of the territory by people with sensory and mobility limitations. 
To this regard, one of the biggest problems, as to the general fruition elements, is the lack of precise information which relates to the usability of structures and services.
With particular respect to the information service through internet, the Marine Protected Areas must develop projects of adjustment and brand-new web sites, according to the international protocols on accessibility issues and to the Law n.4 dated  on January, 9th 2004, that prescribes all public administration to make their web sites  accessible to people with disabilities.
It is necessary to plan and realize specific interventions aimed at informing the largest share possible  of users.

•	Publications

From the analysis of the checklists fulfilled by Marine Protected Area Authorities, only 1 area (6%) declares to have released publications which illustrate the characteristics of usability .
In this case as well, we observe that such a service should be absolutely implemented, also because the information material produced by the managing authorities is a vehicle to promote the achieved targets, not only in the environmental field, but also in the social and cultural area as well.
Therefore there is no need to limit ourselves to operations of marketing and self-financing; publications have to be thought as a strategic tool in order to spread education contents animated by the park other than the field where the visitor meets the environmental reality of the park. As to this service, the need to properly care for planning and programming activities.

7.4 Usability of the Sea

The aspects linked to the usability of the marine protected areas, due to their particular importance in relation to the aim of the present study, are separately treated within this paragraph – as to what concerns the main typologies of fixed or mobile facilities, which are used to access and use the sea, such as  bathing establishments, facilities for pleasure boating (harbours and tourist moorings) and pleasure boating itself– and to what relates to the supply of services linked to the usability of sea like diving, and the possibility to charter boats presenting certain accessibility features or to enjoy tourist journeys of Marine Protected Areas through a public or private transport service, even by sea.

Harbours and Tourist Ports 

Tourist harbours and ports are structures dedicated to pleasure boating.
The analysis of the checklists fulfilled by the Marine Protected Area Authorities allowed to assess the general impossibility, especially for persons with strong mobility limitations such as people on wheel chairs, to enter boats or to access to jetties, fixed or floating, but also to docks and footbridges.
This despite the existing legislation sets specific benchmarks with regards to planning new structures for pleasure boating or for the improvement of the existing ones.
The decree of the Minister for Transport and Navigation of April 14th, 1998, regarding the permission to create new structures, establishes that:

-	the preliminary project must be written in accordance with the correct sector standards, with particular reference to those ones produced by the International Association of Navigation;
-	the definitive project to be linked to the petitions of state marine concessions for the realization of structures dedicated to pleasure boating must indicate, within the general report of the definitive project, the solutions adopted to overcome the architectural barriers.

As to harbours and tourist ports in particular they apply, as far as accessibility requirements are concerned, to the rules of the Presidential Decree n. 503 of July 24th, 1996, “Regulation to overcome architectural barriers in buildings, services and public areas”, with particular reference to:
-	the accessibility to the harbour complex and to the public buildings that are part of the complex;
-	slopes, widths, side protection (when required) of the pedestrian routes within the tourist harbours, jetties and ramps included;
-	places such as public sanitary services;
-	parking;
-	public telephone booths.

Problems linked to the accessibility of  boats moored in structures such as harbours and tourist ports, may be due to, besides all the above mentioned factors, specific problems of sea level variation, and thus to the difficulty of overcoming, if possible in autonomy, gaps between fixed structures (docks and fixed docks) and the floating ones (floating jetties), especially for people on wheel chairs. Accessing ramps to floating jetties indeed present high slopes (sometimes exceeding 30%), slippery and without the double handrail, besides joining the ends through steps difficult to overcome. It would be enough in most cases to make the footbridge longer, thus reducing the slope, realizing the walking floor in anti-slippery material, implementing the double handrail while according the right length to the footbridge and, in particular, to level the ends of the footbridge  to the  jetty or dock through little ramps with a reduced slope. These simple interventions are useful not only for people with disabilities but also for all users.

	Boats

In Italy there has been a certain hastening, in recent years, in planning and realizing accessible boats even for people with disabilities, in particular for people on a wheel chair, also for planning and realizing required interventions on existing boats.
This allows the full usability of the sea and sport practices such as  sailing. There are some boats, such as for instance the 2.4 which allow the people with mobility impairments to participate to official regattas. The regatta ranking does not make any distinction between sailors with no impairments and those who present limitations. The 2.4 is an extremely modern boat, with high technical performances, unsinkable, easy to transport and to put in water; just for its features, people with mobility impairments may access such sport with the same possibilities of others.
Besides using an accessible boat, in relation to the specific mobility issue mentioned above, the substantial problem is represented by the passage between the jetty and/or dock and the boat; operation which may be very difficult, especially for persons on a wheel chair. The main problem for every kind of boat is to enter (or get off) along the footbridge. This latter is always attached to a fixed point on the boat. Therefore if the sea tides vary the height of the boat compared to the fixed jetty, or if there is a slope to overcome, the problem must be solved. Sometimes, in presence of people on a wheel chair, little cranes may be used to take them aboard; while in other cases some smart and practical solutions have been thought, allowing to get in and off with full autonomy. The footbridge may indeed be not anchored to a fixed point, but rather at the stern of the boat a device may be realized allowing to move the platform, that vertically hangs from the walking level and is capable of sinking beneath the sea level. This not only permits to get on and off from a perfectly horizontal plan, but also to swim or dive with no relevant difficulties in entering the water.

Scuba Diving

Diving should be allowed also to people with some mobility impairments. 
Diving is a positive activity, adventurous and exciting, and it plays an important role in socialization. Learning this activity may be useful to a person affected by physical impairment. Their impairments may suggest to most of them that even swimming underwater is quite impossible. Modern equipment, training materials and teaching methods make nowadays diving accessible to wide range of people.

	Bathing Establishments

From the analysis of the checklists fulfilled by the Marine Protected Area Authorities, only in few cases, on the territory of the municipalities which belong to Marine Protected Areas, are present bathing establishments that are not only accessible but they also provide access to the sea (and to the beach as well), as envisaged by the legislation in force.
Some projects and behavioural advices are enlisted for the personnel in charge of the bathing establishments and beach services of accommodation facilities. Behavioural character suggestions, often neglected or underestimated, are likely to be determinant in the management of routine situations.

Establishment Direction

•	To envisage a number of parking areas, outside and inside the structures, as close to the entrance as possible, reserved to cars that show the distinguishing mark for people with disabilities.
•	To connect the road surface to the pedestrian route that connects through slides the bathing establishment entrance.
•	 To envisage an accessible entrance to the bathing area, through the creation of slides or elevating platforms, where there is a relevant gap between the pedestrian route and the beach level.
•	Envisage at the entrance an information system suitable for “everyone”.
•	Within the bathing establishments, cabins and accessible sanitary fittings must be realized according to the legislation in force. These facilities can  be used by every typology of visitor.
•	Provide accessible routes, such as footbridges, that arrive till the wind and tide line, with no interruption. The Route to the sea must be made of a regular and stable surface and shall be as sand free as possible, because sand limits the movement on wheel chairs. For the sea access particularly important is the spreading of auxiliary equipments, such as beach wheelchairs,  suitable to everyone: this equipment allows to take a swim while being comfortably seated. 

Welcoming

•	Dealing with visitors with kindness and helpfulness to provide indications and information.
•	In the case of visitors with reduced mobility, long waiting times to use the services offered (bar, sun bed renting) must be avoided or attending while seated must be provided; overcoming distances must be kept in consideration. Cabins and beach areas must be as close as possible to each other and reachable through accessible routes, possibly on the same level. They must also be close to accessible sanitary fittings, showers, restoration services. Whether the simultaneous satisfaction of all these needs is not feasible, the visitors should be interviewed on which service they prefer. 
•	As to people with sight impairments, attention must be granted to the linking routes. In their selection, the places linked to each other through linear and easy routes with precise signs must be preferred. The area must be without disturbances such as overcrowding and disturbing noises.
•	As to users with hearing impairments, it is opportune to spend more time in communication, being available to repeat what already told, and, if necessary, to have pen and paper. For users with hearing devices (acoustic prothesis), it is recommended to choose quite places, with no background noises and sources of sound disturbances. While communicating with the visitor, there is the need to consider that loudspeakers could be useless. Entitled personnel must inform the visitor face to face or through a written message. 

	MAIN NORMATIVE MEASURES ABOUT USABILITY OF THE SEA

Circular of the Merchant Navy Ministry
								Jannuary 23rd 1990

Re: Law n. 13, Jannuary 9th 1989 - Provisions to promote the overcoming and removal of architectonical barriers inside private buildings.

Omission...”In particular, inside the issuing titles regarding the permits of the bathing establishments or, in any case, for the facilities linked to the usability of bathing, will be inserted a special clause that orders thye agent to provide, at least, with a bathing-hut and a sanitary fixture suitable to receive people with a reduced or impaired motory or sensorial capability, and to make this structure visitable in the sense specified in the art. 3 point, 3.1 of the already mentioned Decree n. 239/89, above all to allow a real bathing possibility through the creation of proper horizontal routes”.

Law n. 104, february 5th 1992

Framework act regarding the assistance, the social integration and the rights of handicapped people.

Omission...art. 23, par. 3: “The property permits for bathing establishments and their renewals are subordinate to the visitability of the establishments, according to the Ministry for Public Works’ Decree n. 236/89, June 14th 1989, and are also subordinate to the real possibilities, for handicapped people, to access to the sea”.

Circular of the Merchant Navy Ministry
	 March 25TH 1992
 
RE: Law n. 104, art. 23, par.3, February 5th 1992 - Visitability of bathing facilities by handicapped people.

Omission…. “The coming in force of the above-mentioned Law n.104/02, for whose realization directives just to the Harbour Offices by fax of the General Department of Maritime Property and of Harbours n.5170418 of the 21st of  February 1992 were already given, implies the necessity for bathing establishments to conform to the law’s requirements, right during next summer season, unless the issue or the renewal of the permit document will be already implemented before the date of the coming in force of the new regulations. To allow the fulfilment of the obligations derived from the Law n. 104, considering that the bathing season is already starting and that there is the necessity to govern the permit’s relations, it is provided that the required structural modifications feasible with easily removable facilities can be allowed, without  any additional preliminary formality. Regarding, instead, the situations that cannot be brought within the requirements derived from the regulations at issue, unless through the construction of permanent works, it is provided that inside the permit title, that however must be issued, must be inserted a special clause with which it’ll make it compulsory to present a plan of modification within the date that, if necessary, will be fixed, with the warning that the non-fulfilment of the obligation will imply the declaration of the permit’s forfeiture, according to the art. 47 of the Navigation Law. The following inquiry regarding the required innovations, will be conduct with the maximum promptness allowed, quoting the disposals inside the art. 546 of the Maritime Regulations and those of the Law n. 241/90  to take over the required opinions”.

	Law n. 494, December 4TH 1993

Disposals to determine Rules regarding Maritime Properties’ Permits

Omission… art. 1, par. 1: “The maritime properties’ permit can be issued not only for public services, harbour services and activities and for productive activities, but also for the exertion of the following activities: a) management of bathing establishments”. Omission…art. 1, par. 2: “The permits mentioned in par. 1, apart from the sort or the type of facilities provided for the course of the activities, lasts four years; they can, however, have a different duration on justified request of the interested parties”. Omission…art. 6, par. 1: “In case, within a year from the date of  the coming in force of the conversion law of this Decree, the Government shouldn’t provide with the fulfilments that are necessary to make effective the proxy to Regions of the administrative functions”...omission… “these are however delegated  to Regions. From this term, Regions will provide for the issue and the renewal of the permit for maritime properties”. Omission…art. 6, par. 3: “To the aims of  this article, Regions, consulted the Maritime Authorities, plans an utilization project of maritime properties, after having taken over the opinions of the interested communes’ majors and the regional sector associations, that belong to the most representative trade-union organizations among the tourist sector of the maritime properties agents. Omission…art. 9, par. 1: “Being understood the rule in the art. 23, par. 3 of the law n. 104 (a) of February 5th 1992, where there are fair structural and environmental difficulties for all the agents, established by the Maritime Competent Authorities, to plan specific accesses, the access to sea for handicapped individuals is however ensured by the realization of suitable facilities along orthographically homogeneous stretches of the coast. The competent maritime authority, within the 31st of  December 1993, will identify the bathing establishments that are more suitable to be provided with the above mentioned facilities and will promote an agreement with all the agents of all the bathing establishment that are in the same homogeneous stretch of coast.

	District Bar of Ancona’s State Advocacy - Advice n. CS. 252/93H, 07/19/93

RE: Non subduability to building permit of permanent works required to assure disabled people the visitability of bathing establishments.

Omission…”…It happens when the private person realizes works over a state property. In this case it is required, besides the property permit, even the building permit: unless,  regarding the latter, the provisions in force give particular rules, as it happens in some cases of the subject at issue. In fact, while for the first realization of bathing establishments the plans must include the expectations in the art. 1, par. 3 of the law n. 13/89 and according to the general rules the building permit is required, on the other hand, for the innovations to overcome the architectural barriers inside existing buildings, the works quoted in the art. 2 of the law n. 13/1989 are not subject to building permit and authorizations, and the works consisting of ramps or outdoor lifts, that is manufactures that can change the shape of the building, are subject to the authorization systems quoted in the art. 48 of the law n. 457/1978 and to further modifications and integrations (art.7 or the law n.13/1989)”.

	Circular of Premiership’s Council of Ministries  
	May 18TH 1999

RE: Accomplishment of the disposals quoted in the art. 23 of the Law 104/92. Property permits for bathing establishments.

“This Department has recently ended a round of meetings with the Ministry of Transport and Navigation‘s agents aimed to establish the state of realization of the disposals at issue, regarding the access to sea for disable people …omission…by the examination of the report and by the achieved data, came out the opportunity that, at the approach of Summer, the SS.LL. will make contact with the regional administration’s competent bodies and with the local Harbour Offices, only where Regions have started up relevant provisions to make use of them, so to put into action, during the issue or the renewal of the permits for bathing establishments, all the activities that Regions, within the limits of their organizational and managerial autonomy, will think proper and so to insert a specific clause, during the inquiry first, and then during the issue of the permit’s measure, which explicitly quotes the dispositions inside the art. 23 (par. 3 and 5) of the law n. 104/92”.

THE FEDERATION OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS OF DISABLED PEOPLE (FAND) WITH THE  COOPERATION OF THE ITALIAN UNION OF BLIND PEOPLE (UIC) AND THE NATIONAL AUTHORITY OF DEAF-MUTE PEOPLE (ENS) SUGGEST TO KEEP IN MIND THE FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS

REGARDING VISUAL IMPAIRED PEOPLE

•	Provide, at the start of the trails, a tactile map with a raised and contrasted representation to allow everybody and particularly blind or with a low vision people, the orientation and the recognition of places. This map must be simple and basic and show only the landmarks, the main characteristics of the route and the localization of the resting areas.  It is useful to provide people with low vision, with a caption in Braille and large printed, that gives further instructions and explanations.
•	Provide the organizations of trails with resting areas, to ease the bearings of the visual impaired visitor.
•	Realize routes with a surface that can be distinguishable by plantar touch and that differs from the surrounding ground, that can be made by packed earth, gravel or  others; the runners must be distinguishable, by people with a low vision, for colour and  luminance and in chromatic  contrast to the background.
•	Let people with low vision know the descriptions, using outdoor plastic-coated panels or boards in Braille.
•	Provide people with low vision with exhibits on large print with a contrast between the  background and the text’s colours.

REGARDING HEARING IMPAIRED PEOPLE

•	Find and install devices that allow even deaf people the use of public telephone installations (such as the STD - special telephone device, the alphanumeric push-button telephone, fax).
•	Install panels with communications transmitted by loudspeaker.
•	Realize parking lots and entrances to avoid the danger of the motor vehicles’ transit, in presence of  deaf people.
•	Keep in mind that the relational isolation in which a deaf is, causes to him a extremely stressful and not easy to handle situation, above all because of his “invisibility”, but such as to justify, even for this category of disabled people, the access and the usability of the areas at issue and their facilities, skipping the customary queue of normally endowed people. It will be right that the staff on duty inside the facilities will be acquainted with the following “Decalogue” to communicate to a deaf person:
•	To allow the deaf a good labial reading, the optimum distance during the conversation must not be longer than a meter and a half.
•	The source of light must light up the face of the speaker not the face of the deaf person: it’s necessary to speak facing the light.
•	The speaker must keep his head still.
•	The face of the speaker must be at the level of the deaf ’s eyes.
•	It’ s necessary to speak clearly, but without exaggerating. There’s no need to mangle the pronunciation. The labial reading, in fact, is based on the right pronunciation of the words.  
•	You can speak with a normal tone of the voice, there’s no need to shout. The  talking speed, furthermore, must be moderate:neither too quick, nor too slow. 
•	Use possibly short, simple but complete sentences. There’s no need to use a baby talk. Underline the main word of the sentence. Use expressions of the face in connection with the theme of the speech.
•	Some sounds of the language are not visible on the lips: act in such a way as to allow the deaf person  to see all that is visible on the lips.
•	When first names, place names or unusual terms are used, the lip-reading is very difficult. If the deaf person is not able, in spite of all efforts, to understand the message, instead of lose patience, the word could be written in block letters, or use, if known, the typewriting (manual alphabet).
•	Even if the deaf person uses a hearing aid, not always he is able to perfectly perceive the spoken language. It’s necessary, then, to act following these communication rules.
•	It‘s difficult for a deaf person to follow a group conversation or a conference without an interpreter. It’s necessary, then, to help him understand, at least the main topics, with the lip-reading, transmitting simple words and sentences and adding natural gestures.

	

	

	

	DECALOGUE FOR “RESPONSIBLE PLANNING”

(drafted within the project of Regione Lazio, Urban and House Department, "City for all: accessibility, mobility, environmental comfort " by Prof. Arch. Fabrizio Vescovo).
1) EVERY PROPER PLANNING ACTION SHALL REFER TO A WIDE AUDIENCE (UNIVERSAL DESIGN). We must refer not only to persons on a wheel chair, but to all presenting mobility impairments. There are many different kinds of motor or sensory impairments (tiredness, reduced autonomy, disorientation, etc.);
2)  DISTANCE TO COVER BY FOOT REPRESENTS A SOURSE OF TIREDNESS  FOR EVERYONE: FOR SOMEONE ELSE DISTANCES ARE INSUPERABLE. We must necessary avoid to cover long distances (even if by paths without steps) to reach the destination. A path less than 50 meters is acceptable;
3) WHEN DEALING WITH HUGE BUILDINGS, IT IS APPROPIATE TO PLAN ALTERNATIVE ENTRANCES, CLOSE TO PARKING AREAS. However, it is better to avoid ”dedicated” equipments or routes accessible only by people with disabilities;
4) RAMPS DO NOT ALWAYS HELPS TO OVERCOME GAPS. They can be set up to overcome little differences of height (1,00-1,50 m) only if realized with soft slope;
5) IN CASE OF BIG DIFFERENCES OF HEIGHT, IT IS BETTER TO PROVIDE LIFTS OR ELEVATORS, even by turning to “alternatives”, as envisaged by the legislation in force;
6) THE SETTING OF POWERSTAIRS FOR THE ADJUSTMENT OF PUBLIC SPACES IS NOT ADVICEABLE for many technical, managing and psychological reasons. It represents only the “last resource”;
7) IN PUBLIC SPACES, AN “ACCESSIBLE” SANITARY SERVICE SHALL BE PROVIDED, not meant only for people with disabilities but for everyone. It has not to be intended as an additional service;
8) WHEREAS SANITARY SERVICES DIVIDED PER GENDER ARE REQUIRED, AT LEAST TWO ACCESSIBLE SERVICES SHALL BE PLANNED, both of them usable by all people;
9) THE DIMENSIONS OF SUCH SANITARY SERVICES CAN ALSO BE REDUCED, PROVIDED THAT A FRUITION BY PERSONS ON A WHELL-CHAIR IS POSSIBLE, even by envisaging his/her movement in the bath front space. “Accessible” sanitary spaces do not necessary imply “special” equipments or furniture, thus more expensive, but only logic solutions with normal objects;
10) FINALLY, THE COMPLIANCE TO THE LEGISLATION IN FORCE IS GAINED THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE OF PEOPLES' REAL NEEDS.

APPENDIX

Glossary

When dealing with specific themes such as issues of usability  to Marine Protected Areas, an essential aspect is represented by the necessity to locate and to establish a common terminology.
Within this context, this operation results rather complex. This is due to the fact that both, the regulations in force – implemented at various level - and the existing scientific and informative documentation, do not use a common terminology.
Therefore, for a better understanding of this document, it is important to single out a comprehensive shortlist of the most significant terms.
For a detailed and more complete treatment, please, visit the website www.parchipertutti.it. or refer to the existing bibliography on accessibility and on Marine Protected Areas.

	Ability
	The capability to understand the reality and to take all necessary actions in order to adjust the reality itself or even to modify, when needed, its reference system of competences ('abilità' - U. Galimberti in “Dizionario di Psicologia”. UTET, 1992).

Accessibility
By accessibility, we mean that people with different types of mobility and/or sensory impairments may reach any portion of a building and its single unit, enter comfortably and use the space and the equipment in an independent and safe manner. ('accessibilità' – Decree of the Ministry for Public Works n. 236/89 e D.P.R. n. 503/96).

Adaptability
By adaptability we mean the possibility to change within a certain timeframe the constructed area at a limited cost making it fully and easily usable also by people with physical or sensorial limitations. ('adattabilità' - Decree of the Ministry for Public Works n. 236/89 and D.P.R. n. 503/96).

Alternative Solutions
A planning-technical answer that makes an area or facilities usable, which, apart from the implementation of the specific sizes required in the existing laws, can be considered an effective solution, because it meets law requirements drew by DM 236/89. It must be justified and  point out the maximum results it can achieve. ( F. Vescovo, 2002).

Alternative Means of Transport
All those automated systems and facilities(such as funicular railways, inclined elevators, lifts, escalator and tapis-roulant) which are additional or alternative to usual transport (buses ,streetcars etc.).( F. Vescovo, 1997).

Assistance Centre
A place and/or a facility organized to provide information, auxiliary services and/or assistance services in order to facilitate individuals with partial or total mobility and/or sensorial limitations to the utilization of the area and/or services, carried out by the public or private agency (see also assistance services and call systems) ('centro di assistenza' - F. Vescovo, 2002).

Assistance Service
This service allows people with partial or total mobility and sensory impairments, to utilize areas, facilities or provided services.
Act, D.P.R. n. 503/96 obliges all buildings, areas and public services, while awaiting adaptation, to  provide  a suitable assistance service beginning 180 days after the implementation of the D.P.R. This is also somewhat connected to the concept of “alternative services” Ministerial decree. n. 236/89, art. 7 (Presidential Decree  n. 503/96).

Barriers
A complete description of the phenomenon is possible by splitting the categories into: psychological barriers and physical barriers. The former are included in the field of the psychological and sociological sciences, which consider these obstacles being of a cultural or psychological nature that prevents the full utilization of the needs and a sensible satisfaction of the demands. Those who most frequently encounter psychological barriers are the elderly, when often cultural and psychological conditioning has increased the difficulties of relation and sometimes also limits some daily activities. Psychological barriers can be partially eliminated by increasing social assistance for those categories of people, which are socially weaker. Physical barriers, which certainly also have concomitant effects and implications of a psychological nature, are the dominion of urban planning, architecture and construction in general. Physical barriers can also be divided into two categories: architectural barriers (see term) and urban barriers, comprised of those material obstacles which prevent or limit circulation for people with sensory or mobility limitations (steep sidewalks, inappropriate crossings for pedestrians, stairs); localization barriers (which can be included in the category of urban barriers) which are comprised of those poor urban planning and architectural decisions which limit the possibility  of public facilities utilization. (F. Vescovo, 1990).

(Architectural) Barriers
By architectural barriers, we mean:
•	physical obstacles which are a source of discomfort for mobility for everyone especially for those individuals who, for whatever reason, have reduced capacity of movement either permanent or temporary.
•	Obstacles that limit or prevent the comfortable and safe use of facilities, equipment or components;
•	The lack of appropriate signs or markings, which permit the finding and recognition of places or danger sources for everyone especially for those who have visual or hearing limitations. (‘barriere architettoniche’ - Decree of the Ministry for Public Works n. 236/89 e Presidential Decree n. 503/96).

Boat
By boat we mean: a) rowing pleasure boat; b) pleasure boats with the hull length up to 10 metres and measured according to harmonized standards; c) any of the previously mentioned pleasure boats used for inland navigation.
(“boat” – Art,13, comma 1, Act 8th of July 2003 n. 172 "Dispositions to re-set and re-launch pleasure boating and  nautical tourism”)

Buildings Refurbishment
This category is defined in Chapter IV Art. 31 letter d) of Law n. 457 of August 5th, 1978 (Decree of the Ministry for Public Works n. 236/89 and Presidential Decree n. 503/96)

Calling System Service
A device or piece of equipment for implementing an assistance service aiming at enabling the person with partial or total mobility and sensorial limitations to use the services made available in a determined place. The calling system must be in an accessible position and marked with the sign: "conditioned accessibility". (sistema di chiamata -D.P.R. n. 503/96). 

Delimitation of a Marine Area
The delimitation of a marine protected area in compliance with Art. 18 of Act 394 of the 6th December 1991. (Framework act on protected areas).

	Disability
The reduction or loss of functional capacity to carry out an activity in a manner or within the limits considered ‘normal’. ('disabilità' - International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps, I.C.D.H., World Health Organization (W.H.O.), 1980 (see also the term, handicap).The environment with all its features: chemical, physical, biological and geological. ('ecosistema' - Vocabolario illustrato della lingua italiana, Sansoni Editore s.p.a., Firenze, 1990). 

Disabled
An individual with a reduction or lack of functional capacities in carrying out any kind of activities in a way or within the limitations considered to be “normal”.
('disabile' - International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps, I.C.D.H., Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità, 1980). 

Ecosystem
The whole environment considered with all his physical ,chemical ,biological and geological characteristics.(Pictorial Dictionary of Italian Language, Sansoni Editore s.p.a.,Firenze,1990)

Electro-scooter
A one seated electrical vehicle, that has 3 or 4 wheels and is about the same size as a wheelchair but structurally and aesthetically different from a wheelchair with a speed that is equal to one of a pedestrian. It prevents exhaustion for people with impaired movement and it represents a ‘Technical aid’ for the overcoming of flat and sloping land surfaces. ('elettroscooter' - F. Vescovo, 2002).

Elevator Platform
The Elevator Platform is a device that allows people with a mobility impairment to overcome a change in level, instead of lifts or slopes.
These devices are allowed instead of lifts during adjustment interventions or to overcome  small changes in level .It must allow people an easy accessibility, easy standing, sitting or being on a wheelchair ,it must also ensure, passengers and people that could come into contact with the moving device, an easy manoeuvrability of the controls and security measures .(D.M.LL.PP.236/89)

Environment
By environment we refer to: 1) the area, the site, the biological and physicochemical conditions in which an object or an organism is situated; 2) the nature, being the relation between the physical world and the organisms, animals and plants ('ambiente' - De Mauro, the dictionary of Italian Language of the Third Century, Paravia Editore, 2003).

Environmental Comfort
The set of features which ease and make safe the utilization of a location, an area, facilities or services as part of the program for a “wide audience”. The concept of environmental comfort is included in the concept of ‘limited accessibility’ as defined in the Decree of the Ministry for Public Works n. 236/89 (F. Vescovo, 2002).

Exigencies
Needs or special requirements for individuals and the related demands, which vary in accordance to the psychophysical state of the involved person, the historic time, and to the available technology, (F. Vescovo, 2002).

Good Routines (examples of)
Examples of good routines are those which emphasize specific activities to support individuals with impairments, that are innovative and effective and that can also be transferred to other situations and cultures. Examples of good routines follow certain fundamental principles: the transference of practical knowledge and the encouragement of the routine to become more widespread; supporting the social integration of the person with the impairment and his independence; to allow him to reach his objective in an autonomous way. (F. Vescovo, 2002).

Handicap
A limitation to play a normal role, as far as environment, age, gender, social and cultural expectations are concerned. ('handicap' - E. Matteucci, "Il Verde per tutti", Alinea Editrice, Firenze, 2000).
This is the most used term, meaning situations other than ‘normal’ but, unfortunately, it is a wrong stereotype, which, besides, has little meaning for accessibility and usability of the environment whether natural, or man made. In fact, the collective imaginary mainly refers to the handicapped person as someone in a wheelchair. In this way, however, one excludes most of the people having a permanent or temporary reduced capacity for movement such as the elderly people, people with small children, pregnant women, people with arthritis, and those who have injuries resulting from accidents. Besides this, the term handicap is often misunderstood with the term disability. In this regard it is necessary to clarify that disability for a person does not necessarily constitute a handicap. It becomes handicap when there’s an impairment in the normal carrying out of functions‘. For this reason too, the term handicap is to be considered outdated and therefore it is not used in this document. 

Jetty
A structure built inside a harbour from a shore out into the water for the lateral docking, loading, and unloading of ships.
('pontile' - AIPCN - PIANC, International Association of Navigation, "Technical recommendation for tourist harbours planning", February 2002).

Marinas/Tourist Landing Area
The 'marina' represents the complex of movable and irremovable facilities both sea and ashore built. Those infrastructures have a unique purpose: to serve pleasure boating also through complementary services. The 'tourist landing area' instead, is part of a multifunctional port, in compliance with art. 4, paragraph 3 of Act n.84 of January 28th, 1994.
(Art. 2, paragraph 1, Presidential Decree 2nd December 1997, n. 509).

Marine Protected Areas
They are made up of marine environments: waters, sea bottoms, overlooking coasts which are relevant for their natural, geomorphologic, physical, biochemical features with particular emphasis to marine and coastal flora and fauna and for their scientific, ecological, cultural, educational and recreational relevance.
(Article 25, Act  n. 979, 31st December 1982).

Maritime Property
The maritime property includes: a) the shore, the beach, seaports, harbours; b) lagoons,  rivers' mouths, salt basins which freely flow to the sea at least for short periods; c) public canals for maritime purposes.
(Art. 28, Codice della Navigazione).

	Mobility
By mobility, we mean the capability, the ability and the will of a person to cope with, in an autonomous way, environments, areas and situations under safe conditions, with efforts suitable to the result and/or to the objective to achieve. ('mobilità' - F. Vescovo, 2002).

National Parks
National Parks are made of lands, rivers, lakes and/or sea areas which have one or more intact or partially altered eco-system, including physical, geological, geomorphologic or biological features of international and/or national importance for nature, science, beauty, culture, education and recreation to such an extent that State intervention is required to preserve this for the present and future generations. (‘parco nazionale’ - Act n. 394/91, art. 2, subsection 1).

Nature Protected Areas
Nature Protected Areas are those areas having physical, geological, geo-morphological and/or biological sites – together or individually – which have a significant natural or environmental value. (Act n. 394/91, art.1, subsection 2).

Nature Trail
Trail constructed inside Nature protected Areas ,that crosses areas with particular environmental and naturalistic heritage, provided with exhibits and informative and educational panels ,resting areas etc.

Person with Disabilities
See the term 'handicap'.

Person with Reduced Mobility ( or with limited sensory and/or mobility capabilities)
This is a person with a temporary or permanent mobility or sensory impairment.
For example, this category could include:
•	people who have walking difficulties;
•	people who have grasping difficulties (for example, because of arthritis);
•	people with young children in a stroller or baby carriage;
•	people in wheelchairs;
•	blind people, people with poor eyesight, deaf people, people who have speech    difficulties or other problems involving communication;
•	people with friends or relatives who are disabled;
•	people with a temporary disability (for example resulting from a road or sports accident).
(This definition was inspired by the European Council Commission’s Report about the measures to be taken throughout the EU to facilitate accessibility to transport for people with reduced mobility capacities– COM(93) 433 def).

Pleasure Boating
The practice of rowing, sailing, or cruising in boats as a form of recreation .
(“pleasure boating” – Art. 2 of the Act 172 - 8th of July 2003 " Dispositions to re-set and re-launch pleasure boating and  nautical tourism ").

Ramp
A limited, inclined surface (with one or more appropriate slopes determined in accordance to length), which allows easy movement from one level to another also for people who use a wheelchair or have mobility limitations (elderly people, people carrying loads, small children etc.)( F. Vescovo ,1990).

Ischial Supports
Facilities of various kinds and sizes allowing the person to lean the pelvis(ischium) and to rest in a semi-sitting position, leaning the hip in order to reduce the body weight load, providing significant benefits.
 ( F. Vescovo, 2002).

Sense of Direction
Sense of direction is the capacity, acquired during one's upbringing and experience, allowing you to determine your position in relation to all the relevant objects in space (reference point) and the possibility to understand which movements and which way they should be done in order to reach an object. (F. Vescovo, 2002).

Seating System
Equipment of various sizes, which allows "enlarged use" by helping people sit down and get up from their sitting position in a comfortable and safe way. (F. Vescovo, 2002).

Sources of Danger
Constructed elements, spatial or environmental situations that restrict, even partially, the passage (for width or height) and which can cause accidents due to their localization (bumps, falls etc.) 
Examples of sources of danger are those street signs which lean out from their vertical supports or from the building they are located on when placed under a height of 1.90 meters, unprotected corners of buildings or furnishing parts: transparent doors (glass, etc.) that are not made visible, railing elements whether vertical or horizontal which are distanced too much from each other, floor-mats which are not embedded ('fonte di pericolo' - Regione Lazio - Ass. LL.PP. Facoltà di Architettura dell'Università degli Studi di Roma; Servizi Socio-Sanitari DEI. Roma, 1979).

Sources of Discomfort or Exhaustion 
We mean, by sources of discomfort or exhaustion, any circumstance, environmental situation or lack of functional organization of a construction, service, facility etc, which can determine unfavourable reactions such as exhaustion or nervousness by representing a negative element in the carrying out of actions by people with disabilities. ('fonti di disagio e di affaticamento' - F. Vescovo, 2002).

State Properties
Public properties used to quickly satisfy public interests or needs. Those properties may belong entirely to the State (required properties) or to others Local Bodies (accidental properties)
('beni demaniali' - "Diritto Costituzionale", Martines, V ed., Giuffrè Editore, Milano, 1988).

Sustainable Development
“sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”(Bruntdtland,1987)

Tactile Map
A map of an enclosed or open space which can be seen and/or touched in order to facilitate the sense of direction and the understanding of a place or complex structure. This is a useful tool for everyone and it is a very useful technical aid for blinds or visually challenged people. (F. Vescovo, 2002)

Technical Aids
Equipment, which mediates the people’s use of the environment and/or facilities in order to allow or facilitate the greatest autonomy possible. (See also ‘electro-scooter’) (F. Vescovo, 2002).
For example: auxiliary levers to increase strength in turning a faucet; ‘clip’ extensions to reach switches or high shelves without needing to stretch your arm when this is impaired. These auxiliaries and aids shall be, however, designed and produced taking into consideration two factors: object use peculiarities in the architectural context involved and the physical capabilities of the potential user. ('ausili tecnici' - Città di Torino - Ass. alla Sanità e ai Servizi Sociali. “Una Città per Tutti?”, Torino, 1980)

The rendering of facilities according to requirements
The entirety of measures needed to render constructed areas and/or projects suitable in  compliance with the requirements of the Ministerial Decree n. 236 of June 14th, 1989. ('adeguamento' - Decree of the Ministry for Public Works n. 236/89 e D.P.R. n. 503/96).

Universal Design
"Universal design" refers to design, which meets exigencies and needs of people with impairments while it is functional for an average person’s use. Universal Design is meant for every person’s use and therefore for the so-called ‘normal’ people and for people with temporary or permanent impairments, children, pregnant women, the elderly people, and those carrying oversize loads etc. (E. Matteucci in "Verde per Tutti", volume 6 della collana "Progettare con il Verde", Alinea Editrice, Firenze 2000).

Urban Accessibility
We mean all the spatial ,distributive and organizational-managerial characteristics of the built environment, that allow a comfortable use ,in conditions of an adequate  level of security and autonomy,of urban places and facilities ,even by people with mobility or sensorial limitations or impairments.(F.Vescovo,1992).

Usability
The effective possibility of safe and easy environment utilization – even through alternative solutions or integrated auxiliary services, including the enclosed areas, natural areas and the related equipment and services offered.
The term ‘ usability ’ is different from the term “accessibility”. For example, a trail could not have limited access according to the law standards and criteria, but it can present features of “usability” even by people with reduced capacity of movement, using special facilities or devices such as electroscooters. (See also 'electroscooter') ( F. Vescovo, 2002).

Valuable Areas
Valuable areas are those, enclosed or open, which are deemed to be of particular or unique significance for historic, archaeological and/or environmental value.
These areas evoke strong emotions simply by facing them and having chance to experience their beautiful landscape, to hear melodious sounds, to perceive pleasant odours. Often these multi-sensorial experiences contribute to raising the person's awareness level and the circumstance or event remains in his memory for a long time. 
(F. Vescovo, 2001).

Visitability
By visitability, we mean that people with different types of mobility and/or sensory impairments may approach common spaces and use at least one appropriate bathroom in the facility. Common spaces include: dining room and living room in a house, in working places, in meeting areas and wherever people may take part in the life of the community (Art. 2  Decree of the Ministry of Public Works June 14th 1989, n.236).

Wharf
A platform of timber, concrete and stone, built parallel to the waterfront at a harbour or navigable river for the docking, loading and unloading of ships.
('banchina' - AIPCN - PIANC, International Association of Navigation, "Raccomandazioni tecniche per la progettazione dei porti turistici", February 2002).

Wide Audience
This refers to the portion of the population, more than 20 per cent of the total, to which “Universal Design” refers. This includes people with temporary or permanent partial or total mobility and sensory limitations (the elderly people, victims of accident, obese people, people with arthritis etc.) (F. Vescovo, 2002).

The Main Sources of Information

In this section there are the online sources of information that we consulted during the writing of this essay. The Authorities and the bodies mentioned are not the only that , in different ways , are interested in the subject took into consideration.
Therefore we ask you to point out to ACLI Anni Verdi possible omissions, that will be put inside the web site www.parchipertutti.it
even after the publication of the essay.
 
ACLI Anni Verdi
www.aclianniverdi.it   www.parchipertutti.it

The National Environmental Protection Association, promoted in 1988 by ACLI (Italian Christian Workers Associations) and recognized by the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory with the 29/03/1994 M.D., has carried out an intensive activity in the field of the environmental education and the accessibility of nature protected areas. It has also published, with the sponsorship of the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory, “The Guide for the Use of the Park” (first release in 1994, second release in 2001). Moreover, it has published, with the sponsorship of the Ministry of the University, the Scientific and Technological Research, 10.000 CD-ROMs of all nature protected areas. The association  has been engaged by the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory for the realization of the project “Parks for all: accessibility for a wide audience”. The current objective of this project, integrated with the Marine Protected Areas, consists of the promotion of the accessibility and the usability of nature protected areas, with particular emphasis to national parks and marine protected areas, by the widest number of citizens, included people with mobility and sensory limitations. In this field, ACLI has produced, on behalf of the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory, 2000 CD-ROMs in Italian and English also browsable by people with disabilities and distributed during the World Parks Congress held in Durban from the 8th to the 13th of September 2003.

ASHI (Italian Association of Handicap Divers)
www.arpnet.it/ashi

Established in 1991, ASHI is a sporting association which promotes diving activities by favouring the social and physical integration of person with disabilities.

Australian Marine Protected Areas (MPA)
deh.gov.au/coasts/mpa

This is the official web site of the Department of Environment and Heritage of the Australian Government on Marine Protected Areas. It offers a wide range of information regarding every aspect of the marine areas, from their legal basis to maps, studies and publications.

Bobby Online Free Portal
http://bobby.watchfire.com

The web site of the most famous automated test recognised by the W3C.

Disabled Sports USA
www.dsusa.org

Established in 1967 by a group of veterans of Vietnam and intended to provide assistance to war-injured individuals, this no-profit organization now offers sport rehabilitation programmes to people with permanent physical disabilities.

European Centre for the Research and the Promotion of the Accessibility - Italy (CERPA - Italy)
www.cerpa.org

The European Centre for the Research and the Promotion of Accessibility - Italy (CERPA being its acronym) represents the Italian division of the Centre. It aims at contributing to a larger accessibility and usability to buildings and urban architecture by all citizens.

European Disability Forum (EDF)
www.edf-feph.org 

The European Disability Forum represents some 37 million EU citizens with disabilities. Its objective is to secure the full access to fundamental rights for people with disabilities through their active participation in the development of the EU.

European Union (EU)
www.europa.eu.int

The EU started the integration process in 1950 with 6 states (Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and Netherlands) settings the foundations for the future European federation. Currently it accounts for 15 Member States and 13 accessing countries from Eastern Europe. The main objectives are: to establish the European citizenship, to secure freedom, security and justice and to promote economic and social progress.

European Year of People with Disabilities
www.annoeuropeodisabili.it

This is the official web site of the Italian Co-ordinating Body. It contains several information regarding all initiatives undertaken to celebrate the “European Year of People with Disabilities” in Italy and in the EU Member States.

Federation of the National Association of People with Disabilities (FAND)
www.fand.org

Established in 1997, FAND involves the following associations: the National Association  of Limbless and Industrially People with Disabilities, the National Association of Limbless and Civil People with Disabilities, the Deaf-Mute National Body, the Italian Union of Blind People and the National Union of People with Disabilities for Services. The main objectives of FAND are the full social integration of people with disabilities through comprehensive education, training processes and the creation of job opportunities as well as providing assistance to the elderly people with disabilities.

	Handylex
www.handylex.org

It is a service provided by the Muscular Dystrophy Italian Association. Handylex takes an interest in all the legislation regarding social welfare, work and rate remission, civic, health and education rights, architectural barriers, aid and mobility.

Italian Federation for the Overcoming of Handicap (FISH)
www.fish.it

	FISH involves 28 national associations of people with disabilities and 7 regional federations. The main target of FISH is represented by the effort towards the achievement of scholastic, work and social integration of persons with disabilities.

Italian League for the Preservation of Bird-Life (LIPU)
www.lipu.it

Established in 1965, this environmental protection association has nearly 42.000 associates, 100 local branches, thousands of volunteers, a network of 58 oasis and  recovery centres visited each year by more then 200.000 persons. This makes LIPU the main Italian association for the protection of bird-life. Currently it is promoting the accessibility to nature protected areas.

Italian Nautical Industry Union (UCINA)
www.ucina.net

This is a no-profit organization, that operates towards the development and the promotion of the nautical sector, the sea-culture and the nautical tourism. At an institutional level UCINA  operates as a comparison subject with government, social and political forces by relating with the Ministry of Transport and Navigation, Industry, Foreign Trade and the European Community regarding the uniform adoption of pleasure boating directives.

Italian Naval League
www.leganavale.it

The Italian Naval League is a public authority that operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and under the high-patronage of the President of the Republic. It takes a specific interest in the protection of the marine environment and inland waters and it also promotes the development of all related promotional, cultural, sports, educational and naturalistic initiatives.

Italian Workers' Compensation Authority  (INAIL)
www.superabile.it

INAIL's targets are aimed at reducing accidental bodily injuries, insuring those workers exposed to risk assets and assuring both social and work reintegration of accidental bodily injured workers.

Legambiente
www.legambiente.it 

Protection of the environment, citizens health and the national heritage both at a national and a local level are some of the issues Legambiente is devoted to. Besides the big campaign there are also the daily activities carried out by more then 110.000 nationwide associates, which make Legambiente one of the most known Italian environmental association.

Lo Spirito di Stella
www.lospiritodistella.it

This project comes from the determination and the spirit of initiative of Andrea Stella. By achieving his personal target he has become an important point of reference for the Italian  nautical sector. Spirito di Stella is a catamaran conceived with specific technical and design solutions which makes the catamaran perfectly fitted for any person.

Mareaperto
www.mareaperto.org

The association Mareaperto has been established in 1990. The Capitan Achab Nautical Club, the National League for Workers and Disabled Rights, the Garbatella Social-Cultural Centre and As.I.P.A (Italian Psychotechnic Association) have promoted the start-up of a  course aiming at making people with disabilities, social and health operators (from both public and private sector) aware of sailing. This has involved theoretic lessons, sea trips and a permanent group counselling study.

Marevivo
www.marevivo.it

This environmental association has been recognised with a MD on the 20th of February 1987. It carries out several different activities such as environmental education, scientific research, promotion of Marine Protected Areas, protection of the sea and its resources, environmental information and territorial planning.

Marine Protected Areas of the United States
www.mpa.gov

The USA Department of Commerce is committed to improving conservation of Marine Protected Areas in order to preserve the great marine heritage.

Ministry for Innovation and Technology 
www.innovazione.gov.it

The web site of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology.

	Ministry of Productive Activities - ENEA
www.italiapertutti.it

"Italia per tutti" is a joint initiative of the General Directorate for Tourism of the Ministry of Productive Activities and ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and the Environment) aiming at promoting accessible tourist facilities and activities for the largest number of citizens.

	Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory
www.minambiente.it  www.scn.minambiente.it

The Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory is committed to sustainable  development, land protection, pollution and industrial risks, the environment protection at national and international level, environmental impact assessment, waste and reclamation issues, sea and inland water protection and, in detail, nature preservation through the General Directorate for Nature Protection.

	Ministry of Welfare
www.minwelfare.it

The Ministry of Welfare is responsible for social, occupational and social protection policies.

National Centre on Accessibility (NCA)
www.indiana.edu  www.ncaonline.org

The NCA is situated next to the University of Indiana (USA); it is strongly committed to the promotion of a full accessibility by the largest number of people to nature protected areas included their facilities and activities. It also provides scientific information on accessibility issues and skilled technical support to both park managing authorities and to American tourist enterprises.

	National Coordination of the Parks and Natural Reserves (Federparchi)
www.parks.it

Established in 1989, Federparchi is an association with some 120 associates among national and regional parks, marine and land reserves, various associations and public administration authorities which manage nearly 300 nature protected areas for a total of 2.500.000 hectares. Federparchi promotes, together with other environment protection and valorisation actors, the establishment of a national network of nature protected areas.

National Institute of Social Insurance (INPS)
www.inps.it

INPS is the most important Italian welfare body. It deals with pensions and, currently, also with performances of the welfare state: family allowances, sickness and maternity benefits, laid-off workers, unemployment benefits, hydrotherapeutic cures, terminal funding and other welfare tools.

National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT)
www.istat.it  www.handicapincifre.it

ISTAT deals with statistical information at different levels and, together with the Welfare Ministry, provides statistical data regarding people with disabilities.

National Park Service (NPS) 
www.nps.gov  www.nps.gov/access

	The NPS of United States is the government organisation in charge of protecting and managing both cultural and natural resources of the national park system.

National Wildlife Federation
www.nwf.org

The NWF is the biggest environmental association of United States. It aims at educating and assisting both individuals and organisations to protect natural resources.

Nautical Association of Tarquinia
www.assonauticatarquinia.it

This association belongs to the province of Viterbo and operates in Lazio aiming at  involving the widest number of people to teach them how to know and love the Sea. 
In order to achieve the above mentioned aims, it promotes and organizes outdoor activities such as canoeing, diving sessions, sailing boat regatta, visits to natural reserves,  sail courses, canoe courses, exhibitions and conferences.

NC State University College of Design
www.ncsudesign.org

The web site of this prestigious University provides detailed information on all services made available by NCSU.

ONLUS Integrated Cooperative (CO.IN)
www.coinsociale.it

The CO.IN.,  established in Rome the 21st of April 1988, is a no-profit national association that includes 49 social active enterprises with some 1900 employees, 50% of which suffer a handicap.

Planning for all without barriers
www.progettarepertutti.org

This is a post-graduate training course organised by the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Roma “La Sapienza”. It aims at organizing the correct approach to accessibility issues by overcoming architectural barriers and at deepening the knowledge and the enforcing of the related legislation.

Sailing Life
www.viverelavela.com

Sailing Life has been established in 1983 and offers a set of training courses in boating techniques. It has always been sensible to social issues and has contributed to the building of an accessible boat for people with disabilities.

Social Cooperative Tandem
www.progettarepertutti.org

Within the framework of its initiative, Tandem has started a specific sector called “design for all objective”. The web site www.progettarepertutti.org is intended as a meeting point for professional technicians and those who wish to deepen and to bring up-to-date their knowledge on accessibility and architectural barriers issues.

SOLARIS (Solidarity and Work create Social Enterprise)
www.consorziosolaris.it

Created in 1993, through the initiative of some ACLI co-operatives, the SOLARIS Consortium, subscriving to ACLI’s Service and Social Enterprises Charter, promotes, assembles and supports co-operation, in particular social co-operation. By giving training, information and consulting services, SOLARIS is committed to promote, within social entrepreneurial undertakings, greater use of typical business management methods. There are more than 200 associated co-operatives, among them important territorial consortiums. Present in 16 italian regions, the associated co-operatives belong to alla categories and participate in the Consortium’s activity as project partners or beneficiaries. Approximately 40% operate in health and social services, more than 16% in craftsmanship and the good’s production sector (mostly social co-operatives for disadvantaged persons) and another 16% in consultings project-making, administration and training fields. 

Solidea
www.solidea.org

SOLIDEA has been promoted by  COSV, ICEI and INTERSOS. They aim at contributing to an increasing interest in the past international co-operation experiences, both negative and positive, with the population of the Mediterranean area, Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe.

The Access Board
www.access-board.gov

A Federal Agency of United States committed to accessible design for people with disabilities.

The Department of Social Affairs of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers
www.affarisocialihandicap.it

It has been established in the framework of the 1st National Conference on Handicap (held in Rome in December 1999). It is a result of the joint collaboration between this department, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and the Environment) and Etnoteam (www.etnoteam.it). The “handicap” portal is a collection of links to several Italian web sites which deal with disability issues.

The Order of Architects of Roma and Province
www.architettiroma.it

This web site provides a significant amount of information and services for architects and for those who are willing to practise this profession: conventions, meetings, competitions, vacancies, publications, magazines.

United Nation (UN)
www.un.org

UN has been established the 24th of April 1945 thanks to 51 countries willing to protect peace and security all over the world. It accounts for 191 Members States.

United States Department of Justice
www.usdoj.gov

The web site of the United States Department of Justice provides to the general public useful information on the legislation in force protecting the civil rights of people with disabilities.

World Health Organization (WHO)
www.who.int

The WHO has been established the 7th of April 1948. As stated in the Constitution, its target is to bring the world population health to the highest standards.

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
www.wwf.it

WWF is the world biggest environmental organization. It is present in 40 countries and has 27 national offices, 24 operative offices and more then 50 million of associates. WWF Italy, in the framework of its activities, has carried out the first check-up (Le Regioni dei Parchi) of the management of protected areas with particular emphasis to accessibility issues. It has also developed several projects for the promotion of the usability of oasis by the largest number of people.

World Wide Web Consortium
www.w3.org

The World Wide Web Consortium (w3c) boosts the synergy of different technologies in order to bring “Internet” to develop its potentials.

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