Notes for the Disabled in Almeria & Granada

Overview of where to go and what to do if you are mobility, sight or hearing impaired - a wheelchair or cane user - and living in or visiting Almeria. Information on the Spanish organisations and facilities.

Information for the disabled and application forms for the Disabled Person's Card, are available from the local Town Hall (ayuntamiento).

To find contact details of the local Town Hall: Click here

Note: A person 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 Páginas Amarillas (Spanish yellow pages) under the heading "discapacitado" or "minusválido".

Town Halls do make sure that most beaches have areas adapted for the disabled. Some beaches are equipped with wheelchair accessible boardwalks and toilets.

For a list of beaches and marinas with disabled access: Click here

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)

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.

Almería airport has disabled facilities and an Ambulift to help disabled people from the aircraft to the terminal building
Frederico García Lorca Granada-Jaén airport has specially adapted ramp access and facilities for disabled passengers
For further information see the Spanish Airports website

Adapted Airport Ferry Service

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

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 and information on applying for a blue badge 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.

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 ECMT (European Conference of Ministers of Transport): 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):

Tarjeta de aparcamiento para minusválidos.

La persona que muestra esta

tarjeta de aparcamiento es un

visitante minusválido procedente de

otro pais europeo, y tiene derecho a

los mismos privilegios de

aparcamiento que un minusválido

residente en su pais.

Modelo de la Comunidad Europea

See the UK Automobile Association website for more information: Click here
To see a sample badge: Click here (PDF)

Services & Facilities in Almería & Granada

Buses in Granada new town are wheelchair accessible as they have retractable ramps

Costa Care provides useful contact information for the disabled traveller in Spain. It is currently developing a website to cover the Costa Almeria with information on equipment rental, nursing care, transport, hotels and accommodation, nursing homes, clinics and holiday companies.

The Almería Federation of Physical Disability Associations (Federación Almeriense de Associaciones de Minusvalidos) offers information on employment, housing, education and leisure time for disabled people living in the Province of Almeria.

Almería Federation of Physical Disability Associations
At: Crta Granada local 190 D2 "The Native of Cartagena", 04008 Almeria
Tel: 950 273 911
Website (in Spanish)

Age Concern España has information and advice for those whose mobility has been affected by age.

Age Concern España (the Federation)
At: Apartado 7, 07180 Santa Ponsa, Mallorca
Tel: 971 231 520
Fax: 971 230 490
e-mail
Website

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.