Wheelchair ramps for the old town of Görlitz

Many weeks and months have passed for the “Görlitz—An Old Town for Everyone” project team, during which the members worked intensively to prepare for May 5, 2017—their day of action .

Everyone involved has experienced a day full of excitement, tension, and relief. On May 5, 2017, thanks to the help of numerous supporters, the project team was able to hand over the first mobile ramp to the “Art Goreliz” bookstore.

We previously reported on this project here last February. In addition to wheelchair users, it is especially walker users and parents with strollers who rely on good access to stores and cafés in German city centers. The mobile ramps are intended to make this access easier for them in the future.

The handover was part of a lively program. Many guests were in attendance, including the “HappyHands” sign language choir and the dance group from the Martinshof Rothenburg Diakoniewerk. The team was also delighted to receive welcoming remarks from public figures, including Michael Kretschmer (Member of the Bundestag), Frank Großmann (Head of the Dresden Chamber of Industry and Commerce office in Görlitz), and Prof. Dr. Matthias Schmidt, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Many guests of honor were also in attendance, including the Disability Affairs Officer for the Görlitz district, Ms. Elvira Mirle, and many others.

Feedback from Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) demonstrated that the project is generating widespread public interest. On the day of the event, the organizers were pleased to have MDR’s coverage, which featured a segment on the topic in the “Sachsenspiegel” program.

The students on the project team now hope that a new project group will emerge, especially from their follow-up class SHb16, which would like to continue their project. They will of course be on hand to help with this.

The project team would like to thank all supporters for their help and participation.