Hand Solo joins the promotion of the candidacy with the construction of a sculpture of the project’s logo
ANDORRA LA VELLA, 4 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Andorra is working to host the Alpine Skiing World Championships in 2027, to which the Swiss resorts Crans-Montana, the German Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the Norwegian Narvik also aspire, and for these to become a reference in terms of to accessibility and inclusivity.
The media bioengineering student David Aguilar, known as Hand Solo, is one of the visible faces that participates in the World Cup promotion process, and has invested 80 hours to reproduce the project logo with a total of 6,688 Lego pieces. The sculpture pays homage to the two iconic slopes of competitive skiing, Avet and Àliga.
The Andorran has become one of the highest representatives of the country in terms of universal accessibility thanks to making visible his goal of building himself a prosthetic arm with parts from the Lego toy firm. The work will be exhibited at the foot of the Avet track in Soldeu during the European Cup Finals, from March 14 to 20, and later in the center of Andorra la Vella.
Another of the visible faces of the promotional campaign is the skier Roger Puig, about to compete in the Paralympic Games in Beijing, which will take place from this Friday, March 4 to 13.
Beyond the sports aspect, the master plan of the Andorra 2027 bid integrates social responsibility objectives. Once the conceptualization in the field of accessibility and inclusiveness had been captured on paper, last winter the Technical Office commissioned a specialized external audit in which some ‘pain points’ were detected, while the same study suggested procedures and applications to improve access to information and physical access of customers to the station.
In addition, in parallel, it also collected the conclusions of how skiers or spectators have access to sporting events.
The investment plan for the next five years of the Soldeu El Tarter sectors of Grandvalira will incorporate the progressive implementation of the proposals derived from the application dossier.
Already for the European Cup Finals, which will be held from March 14 to 20, there will be small actions in terms of accessibility, and with a view to the 2023 World Cup Finals, new applications will be introduced on the ground from signage, the elimination of barriers and access to information for people with visual difficulties, among other groups.
For the bid project it is essential that accessibility becomes a competitive and differentiating advantage in all its venues (Soldeu El Tarter, (Grandvalira) and Pal Arinsal) compared to other ski areas and events.
INFRASTRUCTURES AND SERVICES FOR ALL
The candidacy works with a vision of the event that is based on an essential pillar: inclusion. This point has been developed with the aim of turning the station and the country into a source of inspiration for different groups thanks to the improvement of inclusive and accessible products, services and infrastructures that allow barriers to be eliminated and promote social inclusion and equal opportunities.
Some of the clearest examples of implementation of the measures have to do with the specific training that is done in the teams, as well as with the launch of awareness days, such as the World Snow Day and the actions derived in the schools of this event. In this sense, we work with the public administration and with other interested parties, generating awareness around the concept of accessibility from childhood.
One of the characteristic features of the Andorra 2027 World Championships bid is the adaptation of all essential communications and mobility at the event, which will be adapted to the different areas.
The Parlapp Andorran application in the exhibition ‘The succession of the forest’ by Miquel Merce, describes this work in Braille, five languages (Catalan, Spanish, French, English and Portuguese) and its corresponding explanation in audio, sign language and subtitling.
The signage of the new El Abarset has been designed following universal accessibility criteria with the Clear Code Architecture methodology, guaranteeing its understanding by all people.
The andorra2027.com website is accessible (color contrast, text size, alternative text). For the European Cup Finals, in the dossier and on the website, you will find the program and a description of the event that can be consulted with an audio guide, sign language and subtitles.
The presentations and events related to the candidacy are carried out with a sign interpreter. And the resort works to make the already existing services visible in terms of accessible ski school. The sectors of Soldeu El Tarter have an Adaptive Center, a section specialized in adapted skiing. In the last edition of World Snow Day, an awareness action was carried out with children and young people affected by some type of physical and sensory disability.