Barrier-free hiking
Tyrol as a tourist destination will continue to develop with regard to freedom from barriers. Especially in the context of the anti-discrimination law, due to come into effect in January 2016, freedom from barriers is to be enforced in all areas. While there has been some improvement in public transport, there is still a great deal to be done in tourism and in the recreational area throughout Tyrol.
How inclusive is our hiking country Tyrol?!
Having no barriers is of great advantage to us all. Not only people in wheelchairs, but also senior citizens, walking frame users, families with a baby buggy and travellers all profit from barrier-free paths and easy access.
At the moment Tyrol already has a few wheelchair-trails such as round the Piller Moor, by the Piburger See lake or by the eastern shore of the Achensee lake. But in some areas there is still a lot more to be done!
You will find a selection of barrier-free hiking trails and excursions here.
Experiencing the Tyrolean mountains together?
What the Anti-Discrimination Act has enshrined in law since 2005 is only just at the beginning to be implemented in reality.
Inclusion - "being included" - is a human rigth and as such enshrined in the UN Convention, which came into force in 2008.
This concerns both direct discriminaton as well as regulations, criteria and circumstances that can particularly disadvantage or exclude poeple with disabilities.
This is the point where the need for action with regard to the Tyrolean recreational area becomes apparent.
New milestone in the recreation area!
In the Tyrolean recreation area, we talk about wheelchair-accessible hiking trails, as "accessibility" according to ÖNORM B1600 is not applicable in nature.
The aim is to create a diverse and attractive range of wheelchair-accessible recreational opportunities throughout Tyrol. This goal is to be achieved with a classification system in the background, which will be a valuable tool in terms of planning and funding as well as user-orientation.
Detailed information on the classification system and the difficulty classes of hiking trails suitable for wheelchairs can be found here!
Funding for wheelchair-accessible hiking trails
The construction and renovation of hiking trails suitable for wheelchairs is subsidised by the Landscape Service of the Forest Conservation Department with up to 70% of the net costs.
The criteria for construction must comply with the guidelines for the classification of "wheelchair-accessible hiking trails" and vary depending on the level of difficulty.
Whether the trail fulfils the criteria and can therefore be classified as a wheelchair-accessible trail is decided by an expert from the province of Tyrol during a local inspection.
