Rethinking yachts in the places of yachting so they are accessible to as wide a public as possible and so become places also for people with disabilities.
This is the aim of the workshop organised by Exposanità, an international exhibition for health and assistance, and Seatec: from the principles of design for all to possible applications in port structures and on board, through examples of projects and real-life experience. So that the world of yachting can become inclusive, in its places and activities and also to explore possible new markets for products and systems that favour its evolution.
The workshop
The workshop, for designers but also for users in the yachting sector, will be held on Friday, March 31 from 1115 to 1:15 PM in the Marina di Carrara further complex and will include contributions from Maria Rosaria Motolese of the Centre for the Adaptation of the Home Environment Bologna, for the use of living and other spaces, that will illustrate to the public the issue of the need to make structures accessible to favour the enjoyment of yachting also by a broader user base. There have been several experiences of this kind in Italy: from the Genoa Porto Antico which enriched its offer with a playground for handicapped children to the port of Brindisi which installed lifts to allow the disabled to go on board easily and the port of Leghorn equipped with car parks and ramps and a series of services that make it easy for those with motor disabilities to move around easily.
Paolo Ferrari, a designer for cruise ships and sail and motor yachts and one of the leading experts in designing boats for the disabled, a collaborator with the magazine NauTech, will illustrate a concrete case of broadened design with his accessible sailing yacht of from 28 to 33 feet, designed for the disabled but perfectly suitable also for all yachtsmen, in line with the revolutionary philosophy behind design for all.
The initiative
The aim of the initiative is to provoke reflection by public administrations and those who design public spaces on the possibility of adopting an “inclusive” attitude towards those with physical limitations: the disabled but also the aged, pregnant women and all those who perhaps only temporarily cannot move in total freedom. An attitude that is all the more necessary if we consider the social and therapeutic value that enjoying free time and sport guarantee to the disabled. The same is true for the design and building of yachts that satisfy the requisites of accessibility, not forgetting that not only do they respond to an ethical imperative but designing and building accessible yachts could also open up interesting economic prospects. So the appointment is in Carrara on March 31 to talk about bathing tourism and accessible yachting, topics it will be further investigated in the Exposanità exhibition in Bologna from April 18-21, 2018, which as usual will dedicate plenty of space to experiences and projects designed to facilitate the integration of the disabled in all aspects of daily life, including sport and the enjoyment of leisure.
When and where
March 31 from 11:15 AM to 1:15 PM in the Marina di Carrara fair complex
