LESSONS LEARNED FROM A STUDY TRIP TO TARBES, FRANCE (14-17 MAY 2019)
31 May 2019
LESSONS LEARNED FROM A STUDY TRIP TO TARBES, FRANCE (14-17 MAY 2019)
CITY OF TARBES
Saint-Lary-Soulan
Ideally located in the heart of Aure Valley with pleasant weather and sun, the village of Saint-Lary is dominate by the ski resort which overlooks it at 830 meters. Pic Lumière cable car (built in 1957 and modernized since for our visitors) and Vignec cableway (only open in winter) allowed to reach to the slopes. In 2010, these two ski lifts allowed to expand the transport capacity to the slopes sixfold, and to decrease the sportsmen waiting time.
Located to less than 20km of Spain, Saint-Lary and the stone and half-timbered facades increase the village authenticity. People enjoy festive evenings which mix Iberian and French Southwest atmospheres.
ACCESSIBLE TARBES
The policy for the accessibility of the people with disabilities has been implemented by the Pyrenees National Park and in the construction of routes-interpretive paths for the four types of disabilities – hearing impairment, visual impairment, motor impairment and mental impairment. All these facilities allow every visitor, regardless of their disability, to touch the heart of nature and discover the exceptional richness of the mountain. Track facilities are completely autonomous. At the beginning of each of them are panels that are equipped with audio terminals powered by solar energy. They broadcast commentary is in French, English and Spanish. The texts of each panel are written in French, English and Spanish, as well as in Braille. The models allow each visitor to understand the topics covered.
The path in the Tesh /Tech/ Valley is one of the three paths in the Pyrenees National Park. Around the lake, it is 800 meters long and accessible to all. It has five interpretation boards for geology, mountain landscape, pastoralism and hydropower. In the Arcoesh /Arcoèche/ hut inhabited by a shepherd in the summer, two interpretive panels present the historical development of pastoralism as well as its current state. At the end of the route in the valley, there are seven more stations, that provide information on water resources, forests and rocks in the Tesh /Tech/ Valley.
The Busharo – Gavarnie /Boucharo – Gavarnie/ path is created on an old road, closed to traffic and accessible to all, including people with disabilities. It is located in the heart of the Pyrenees National Park and the UNESCO site “Pyrenees – Mount Perdu” /”Pyrénées – Mont Perdu”/, from Col des Tentes to Col de Boucharo. Through it, disabled people can discover the Gavarni circus and its high peaks, including the Brèche de Roland. Three interpretative panels introduce visitors to natural heritage, geology and cross-border trade.
About the National Park an interpretive path on the topic of trees has been created. It is known as the Etsaut Tree Path. Embossed drawings on triangular rotating terminals show the tree, its leaves and its fruits. The names of the plant species are written in French and Spanish, as well as in Braille and enlarged signs for the visually impaired. Thus, more than 25 trees are illustrated. One of the islands is dedicated to the geology and impact of the soil. It presents the most famous rocks of the valley. An observation telescope accessible for wheelchair users and two interpretative signs for birds of prey and bears complete the path. Resin imprints of wild animals with identification in French, Spanish and Braille are also presented.
Routes and houses in Pyrenees National Park, as well as in other nine parks, have been developed thanks to the sponsorship of GMF insurance company – since 2008. In the Pyrenees Park, the company’s support provides the renovation of the Cauterets and Saint-Lary houses.
VISITED SITES IN TARBES
During the stay in Tarbes, the project team members visited the following sites:
– The National Park Houses at the Arrens-Marsous. They are emblematic tourist sites that are fully accessible to people with disabilities and to the four types of disabilities – hearing impairment, visual impairment, motor impairment and mental impairment. The first house of the National Park at the Arrens-Marsous Valley is an office of the National Park, a tourist center and has a small interactive exposition for the development of tourism in the region. There is also a projection room in the building.
After the House, there is an accessible tourist route, carefully examined by the project experts, which has unique tourist information boards, suitable for people with visual and hearing impairments.
At the end of the Arrens-Marsous valley (in the heart of the mountain), a new National Park House is built, which is a tourist center and has an interesting exposure about the local economic activities developed related to animal husbandry, cheese production, herb harvesting, beekeeping and others.
– The National Park House at Saint-Larry, a developed tourist center for skiing, hiking and cycling. The House is located in the beautiful building – the Hachan Tower, has a tourist information center and an attractive exhibition (indoor and outdoor) dedicated to the trees, forests and industries developed through them. The multi-sensory exhibition is made out only of natural materials, has the label “Tourism and Disability” and is suitable for people with four types of impairments – hearing impairment, visual impairment, motor impairment and mental impairment. Visitors are offered sensory animations, sound and aromas to allow the sensory exploration of these various animal and plant species. For environmentally responsible use of wood, all applications of wood can be observed in the form of tactile animations. There is also a tactile terminal for people with disabilities to familiarize themselves with accessible hiking trails in the Aure Valley. There is a projection room in the house in Saint-Larry and a souvenir shop.
STUDY VISIT IN TARBES, FRANCE
Visit to the Pyrenees National Park has shown that cares for the people with disabilities, even in much more difficult places such as mountains, valleys, peaks, winding paths and rough roads, lakes and other water areas (as well as in visitor centers and in outdoor exhibitions) is Not only completely possible, but it is also challenging, including provision of means for the overwhelming of the huge percentage of obstacles for people with disabilities. At most of the places in the park, the Label “Tourism and Disability” /”Tourisme et handicap”/ is for the four types of impairments – hearing impairment, visual impairment, motor impairment and mental impairment.
The Pyrenees National Park is the first national park in France received the “Tourism and Disability” /”Tourisme et handicap”/ label for the four types of disabilities for two of its houses: the National Park House at Etsaut in the valley of Aspe /Maison du Parc national des Pyrénées d’Etsaut en vallée d’Aspe/ and the National Park House at Laruns in the valley of Ossau / Maison du Parc national de Laruns en vallée d’Ossau/.
From the seen on the sites, from the information and materials read, is vivid the desire of the park to reach 100% accessible for people with disabilities. For sure, that is in harmony with the policy of the French state and the full understanding in society that the people with disabilities are full-rights citizens who, with common support, can live life to the full extend of their capacity and also be useful for civil society development and well-being and progress of the French Republic.
What was seen and learned during the visit to the Pyrenees National Park can be applied at the national level in Greece and Bulgaria. Not only funding is needed. Full synchronization in the work of the state, civil society and the organizations of people with disabilities will lead to the practical realization of the French experience. Whether it is on the same lines or scales depends on many circumstances. But the direction is more than right.