Notes for the Disabled in Costa Calida

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Notes for the Disabled in Costa Calida

Information for the disabled and application forms for the Disabled Person's Card, are available from the local Town Hall (ayuntamiento).
Note:  You must be a Spanish resident to qualify for the card.

Most larger towns have suppliers of mobility aids and other equipment for the disabled which can be bought or rented: wheelchairs (silla de ruedas), mini-lifts, mobility scooters, walkers and general orthopaedic equipment. Ask at an English-speaking pharmacy or look in the Spanish yellow pages under the heading "discapacitado" or "minusválido".

Town Halls do make sure that most beaches have areas adapted for the disabled. Good examples are the Calpe beaches, which also offer specially adapted chairs for use in the water. Some beaches are equipped with wheelchair accessible board walks and toilets. 

Spanish Associations for the Disabled and Mobility Reduced

• Organización Nacional de Discapacitados (National Organisation for the Disabled)
  At: Covadonga, 5 - 1º E, Oviedo 33002 Asturias
• APSA: Asociaciones de Discapacitados (Disabled Association) 
  At: Zarandieta, 7 03005 Alicante
• COCEMFE: Association for the disabled for their integration in the work place.
• ONCE Spanish organisation for the blind (website in English)

Organisations for the disabled on the Costa Cálida

Help Murcia Mar Menor is a registered charity operating in the Mar Menor area on the Costa Cálida and also on the Costa Blanca. Volunteers
provide an emergency and care service to residents and visitors in the area. The service includes loaning medical and mobility equipment to those in
need of it.

• Help Murcia Mar Menor 
  At: Calle Conde Campillo,15 Bajo, Santiago de la Ribera, 30720 Murcia
  Tel: 968 181 623 
  Tel (after hours answer phone): 968 570 059
  Emergency: 616 546 378 
  Website

Spanish International Airports

The European Parliament passed a regulation which will facilitate air flights for people with reduced mobility. This should be put into practice in 2008. The regulations establish that people with reduced mobility should have free, special assistance when needed in airplanes, airports, baggage check in and with flight connections.

Responsibility has been passed to the airports to accommodate the needs of the disabled traveller. Air companies will still be at liberty to provide services to people with reduced mobility.

Vehicles adapted with ramps are available from local companies for transport to and from international airports.

Disabled Parking

Cars parked in disabled spaces must display the disabled sticker or blue badge in the window. A Spanish resident may request a disabled sticker from their local Town Hall.

The blue badge is a standardised European Community disabled person's parking permit which provides parking entitlements to badge holders in all complying European countries - a blue badge from one country is valid in another. A person coming to Spain from another EU country can apply in their home country for this universal badge which allows the use of reserved parking.

However, it is important to note that disabled parking concessions are not standardised across Europe - only the Blue Badge is. Carrying a Blue Badge issued in another EU country gives a disabled person the same rights, while in Spain, as the holder of a Spanish Blue Badge. It is important to note that these may be different to the rights accorded in the issuing country. 

Rulings are set at a local level; the following apply in Spain:

• Disabled spaces in car parks reserved for disabled people are marked with a wheelchair symbol
• Do not park if the space is marked with a vehicle registration number
• Some car parks allow vehicles displaying a disabled parking sign to park free of charge
• There are no concessions for disabled drivers on roadside parking
• Full details from the ITF (International Transport Forum): Click here

Driver's with a blue badge from another European country may display this Spanish translation beside a badge written in another language (text from the UK Automobile Association):

• See the UK Automobile Association website for more information: Click here

• To see a sample badge: Click here (PDF)

Other Associations

Calibre Audio Books: UK charity, Calibre, supplies audio books in English on cassette or disk to visually impaired and disabled people. The free service is available to members (registration can be made via the website). Free postal service is available to anywhere in Europe. 

• Calibre
  Tel: + 44 1296 432339
  Fax: + 44 1296 392599
  e-mail 
  Website

Article includes contribution by Anette Kelf of Jacks Lifts
Tel: 965 831 021 / e-mail / Website
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