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"EASY TO READ"
The State Environmental Institution "EKO-ROSY" is a partner of the "Accessible Green Routes" project.
The project is registered in the database of international cooperation programs and projects of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Belarus under No. 2/14/000685 dated January 28, 2014.
The main goal of the project is to ensure equal access to green tourism in the border regions of Latvia, Lithuania, and Belarus for people with disabilities.
In the "Green Routes" ("Zaļie maršruti") project, many organizations have worked to enable tourists with disabilities to travel and explore the beautiful nature of Latvia, Lithuania, and Belarus.
The project was managed by the Nature Protection Board (Sigulda, Latvia).
Project partners and allies:
- Dagda Municipality (Dagda, Latvia);
- Dagda Disability Society "Nema" (Dagda, Latvia);
- Gražutė Regional Park Directorate (Salakas, Zarasai District, Lithuania);
- Lithuanian Association of the Disabled (Vilnius, Lithuania);
- State Environmental Institution "Eko-Rosi" (Vitebsk, Belarus);
- Latvian Association of Disability Organizations SUSTENTO (Riga, Latvia);
- Vitebsk organization of the public association "Republican Association of Wheelchair Users" (Vitebsk, Belarus).
Partners and allies are those who provide support and help carry out various tasks.
In the European Union countries, much thought is given to how to improve the lives of people with disabilities – so that they can spend their free time in an interesting way: learn something new, engage in sports, pursue their hobbies, and travel.
Why is the project named "Green Routes" ("Zaļiemaršruti")?
The project is named "Green Routes" ("Zaļiemaršruti") because the routes that will be available for travel pass through protected natural areas.
Protected natural areas are special places protected by the state.
In these areas, human economic activity is prohibited without special permission.
For example, cutting down trees, building roads, or constructing houses is not allowed.
This is necessary for the preservation of ancient trees, rare plants and animals, natural monuments, and beautiful natural landscapes.
Scientists work in protected natural areas, and tourists visit them.
Protected natural areas are very diverse, for example, nature park, national park, nature reserve, sanctuary, natural monument.
The "Green Routes" ("Zaļie maršruti") project is a cross-border project. This means that people from many countries have worked on the project.
It also means that residents of all countries are invited to travel along the new routes.
In Latvia, the project route runs through Latgale – a nature trail and a boat pier in Raznas National Park.
In Lithuania, the route passes through Gražutė National Park. There, tourists can visit the visitor center, an outdoor classroom, and take a boat trip on the water route.
In Belarus, the project route passes through the village of Zaborie.
The route includes a nature trail and the Zaborie visitor center.
The routes are "green" also because they have been specially designed for people with disabilities:
to ensure they can travel along the route in wheelchairs, that there are accessible toilets along the route, and that they can travel by boat or ferry.
The project has developed 2-3 day trips for people with special needs.
Information about the trips can be found in the brochures.
Brochures are available in Latvian, Lithuanian, Belarusian, and English.
The brochures provide information about tourist attractions.
Tourist attractions are places and buildings that tourists visit.
Each tourist may be interested in different tourist attractions, so it is good when a tourist creates their own travel route.
Booklets can provide information on where to stay overnight, eat, and rest.
Special symbols are located next to the descriptions of the attractions.
This way, you can find out which attraction can be visited independently and which one will require the assistance of an assistant.
Many people do not know how to support people with disabilities.
Therefore, people who will work on the routes or who wish to create new routes themselves have learned how to organize trips and equip tourist sites so that people with disabilities can travel. People with disabilities can travel, and they enjoy doing it!
This was proven by the project marathon.
17 people in wheelchairs traveled 300 km!
They visited the most beautiful places of the green routes of Latvia, Lithuania, and Belarus.
"Green Routes" ("Zaļie maršruti") await tourists!