FIMITIC

Grado, an island situated in the Northern part of the Adriatic Sea in the Friuli Venezia Gulia region of Italy was the place of the FIMITIC Executive Board meeting on February 20-22, 2004.The day-long meetings in the Hotel RIALTO were dealing with the Programme of Action in a period dominated by radical changes for good in the years ahead in Europe: Follow up of the European Year of Disabled People 2003, the tense social policy in many countries, the enlargement process of the European Union with ten new member states in May and the EU-Parliamentary elections in June 2004. The FIMITIC member associations will only have an influence on the social inclusion of people with physical disability and on the prospects for reform demonstrating their visibility and demands now. This was the meeting result once again demonstrating that we must work together to create the right conditions. A call to the members toward a concept will be launched soon.

Besides a panel of experts was holding a debate on mobilisation of financial sources as well as governance of the association in relation to each other in the frame of the Grado FIMITIC Board meeting.

The new Hotel RIALTO opened in the year 2001, build following extremely modern criteria from an architectural and functional point of view, equipped with all the possible comforts, offers the ideal structure for all and any kind of recreation. Spacious lifts, wellness-centre and also splendid solarium, facing south with a panoramic view of the nearby beach.
The Hotel RIALTO has no architectural features that deny access for people with disabilities, it has a private car park, is near to the Terme Marine (thermal sea bath) and is linked with the “BARELLAI” Talassotherapy Rehabilitation Institute.

It is located in the Città Giardino near to the Congress Centre.

This was a remarkable experience both from the goal set by the host association ANMIC(National Association of Disabled and Civil Invalids) on regional and national level and the point of view from a forward looking human and socio-economic perspectives by the city of Grado and the regional authorities. The importance of the co-ordinated and well structured co-operation in the field was underlined by the presence of the National ANMIC Board of Directors under leadership of the National President Giovanni Pagano, who is also Executive Board member of FIMITIC, as well as other regional ANMIC officers involved.

The Hotel RIALTO and the 125 years old L´OSPIZIO MARINO were visited and presented in depth by the regional ANMIC President Rudy Medeot. In a reception by the Town Mayor Mr. Roberto Marin, the future oriented structure of town, beach and of the new L´OSPIZIO MARINO with its orthopaedic and paediatric institute and with view to foster the participation to access health and rehabilitation services of everybody, people with disabilities included, was explained. Relax, comfort, vacation, rest and calm are just some motives for the community to expand and attract visitors.

A special wheelchair to move on the sand beach and in the water (JOB – Jamme´o bagno) has been seen during the visit in the hospital facilities.

In line with FIMITIC Award guidelines for extraordinary achievements in the accessibility field and rehabilitation the responsible project Company for design and construction was awarded the FIMITIC Blue Medal presented to Mr. Rudy Medeot by FIMITIC President Marija Stiglic.

On the occasion of the Executive Board meeting in Grado the good example initiative of Hotel RIALTO was thus giving an extra impulse to the community to further develop equal opportunities, advocacy and quality of life for people with disability through a human raised based approach.

More pictures can be found on the Gallery