Kythera has recently acquired 3 new seatrack to facilitate the disabled in their access to the sea. The project cost close to €140.000. The Municipality of Kythera made it a «flag» and well done, the interest of all citizens, without exclusion, must be put into practice. Announcements were issued, photos were taken and we all felt satisfied with this project.

But time passed, the seatracks were installed, summer came and just a few days ago, in the middle of the summer season, one of our fellow citizens who tried to use the much advertised seatrack, in Agia Pelagia, experienced great disappointment. The installation did not work. And not only that, but the special cabins, the salt box and the toilet for disabled people was locked. The fact was made known on social media by the father of our fellow citizen Panagiotis, Kosmas Katsoulis. More specifically, he wrote:

«We said today and we wanted to try our Panagiotis to swim in St Pelagia in the ramp for disabled people where it is called Seatrac and .... firstly the ramp does not work ..We were told because of the weather okay.. We went in as our Panagiotis has been going in the sea all the years with our help and ...secondly and more importantly they have locked the salt water and the disabled toilet with chains and lunget from the beginning of the installation I was told until today and the keys have the municipality. I don't understand the rationale behind the whole situation. That is if they are not being used why they were installed just to be seen. I guess........»

In communication with Mr. Kosmas Katsoulis and the deputy mayor Mr. Zantiotis, we learned that the facility in Agia Pelagia was out of order due to a technical failure. As for the locked cabins, at the end of July, there are no excuses.

Let's hope that someone responsible will be found who will settle the issue of the installation of disabled people in Agia Pelagia, because apart from the drumbeat, the concern for disabled people should be practical. Our Panagiotis, and every person with a disability should feel like a part of all of us, and in this we must all take responsibility.

What the contract includes

The contract of project entitled «Accessible Kythera» amounts to 137.467,50 € and the contractor of the project, after a public electronic tender, was the company «TOVEA ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS LTD».

The project is funded by the Operational Programme “Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation”, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The equipment installed at each of the 3 beaches includes all the necessary infrastructure to serve the citizens, namely:

Non-permanent (removable in winter) device for autonomous access for disabled persons - Seatrack system
Bath - Shower for disabled
Soluble wooden beach walkway for disabled people
Non-permanent portable sanitary room (chemical toilet) specifications for the disabled
Non-permanent, detached, wooden changing room for disabled people
Shading