01/10/2023
On October 1, 2023, with the support of "Mobility Macedonia", "Mobility Bitola" organized the traditional Défilé on Shirok Sokak, which was invited and attended by members of several associations of the Union, including from Shtip, Kočani, Radovish, Veles, Gevgelija and Kavadarci. This year's theme was accessibility, that is, how it is an essential part of universal design, and within the framework of the manifestation, the Manual on Accessible Tourism, developed within the international project "Alternative Touristic Experience – Alter Trip", was promoted. Part of this year’s event were the general secretary of "Mobility Macedonia", Sofka Prcheva, the rector of the Bitola University "St. Kliment Ohridski" - prof. Dr. Igor Nedelkovski, Dr. Irena Ružin and MSc Jove Pargovski from NU Institute and Museum - Bitola, and the manager of the ALTER TRIP project, Ivona Jankova. The president of "Mobility Makedonija", Branimir Jovanovski, was justifiably absent. The event traditionally started at Magnolia Square, where the participants gave statements to several local and national media, and after the parade through Shirok Sokak, a workshop on "Accessibility with Universal Design" and the promotion of the Manual on Accessible Tourism was held in the "Korzo" restaurant. The president of "Mobility Bitola", Dr. Niko Jankov opened the workshop with a brief overview of universal design and the seven principles that should guide everyone in designing and arranging the space and environment. The manager of the ALTER TRIP project, presenting the work done in the past two years, emphasized that the most important thing that all participants in the project learned is that tourism workers, and the public in general, do not know what accessibility means. An indicator of this is the inaccessibility of almost 99% of catering facilities in the Pelagonia region. Therefore, it is positive that over a hundred employees and officials from various cultural institutions and catering businesses from both countries signed up and participated in the three trainings. She reminded that everything that encompasses tourism is, first of all, business and the best way to attract a larger number of tourists (consumers) is by applying universal design. The best example of this is the large supermarkets, whose space is designed to have the least possible obstacles and the easiest access to the products: a large parking lot, a wide and flat entrance with doors that open automatically, the inside is wide, well lit and clearly marked what and where is located. All this in order to get out of there with a full cart of products. In order to make tourist activities more accessible for everyone, the Manual on Accessible Tourism will help, for which more details were shared by Dr. Irena Ružin and M.Sc. Jove Pargovski, who are the authors of the publication together with Prof. Dr. Risto Rechkoski and Prof. Dr. Ivanka Nestoroska from the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality - Ohrid. They briefly explained the content of the Manual, which covers the legislation for this sector, international accessibility standards, best practices from around the world and in our country, as well as the equally important accessibility of the internet. Prof. Dr. Igor Nedelkovski, on the other hand, who is a long-time friend and supporter of "Mobility Bitola", used the opportunity to emphasize that the University of Bitola is the only one in the country whose dormitory has rooms adapted for people with disabilities. Most of the faculties are accessible to the first floor, so solutions are usually found to hold exams on the first floors, while for elevators and other adjustments, it is necessary to find ways to collect funds for their implementation. The event culminated in a debate, in which several attendees participated. Our member Simona Joveska, who was also a representative of the Municipality of Bitola, shared her travel experiences, where accessibility is relatively greater than here. She clarified the procedures in the municipality for ensuring accessibility and how the association or individual citizens can submit a request for adaptation to specific locations. Among those present was Mence Hadji-Kosta Milevska, representative of the Center of Culture - Bitola, who participated in the trainings within the project. She expressed satisfaction that she had the opportunity to learn more about accessibility and apply it to the work of this state institution. The entire building, which houses the Center of culture, the 3D Cinema and the National Theater - Bitola, will be thoroughly reconstructed in the coming years and will be accessible to everyone. For people with reduced mobility, access is currently provided from the back entrance, across the stage. Goran Dzhelajkov from Gevgelija also joined the discussion, sharing experiences from his city, and then the conversation continued until the afternoon. All in all, this traditional event was in a great atmosphere, with old and new friends and allies. Thanks to everyone who participated in this event, and we hope that together we will continue to fight for the achievement of our programmatic and statutory goals. Activities continue.
