Disabilities & Accessibility

Italy has only recently begun to provide facilities such as ramps, telephones, and restrooms for people with disabilities; such things are still the exception, not the rule. In Venice, bridges, historic buildings that cannot be modernized, and traveling by boat complicate matters for people with mobility problems. Don't rely on tourist maps that indicate lifts on certain bridges around town; these rarely if ever work. Kiosks in the airport, train station, and parking areas that book hotels, can only dispense information member hotels provide; there is no set criteria for designating one's own hotel "accessible." Informahandicap has a Web site with helpful information for wheelchair users, and questions you e-mail to them in English will be answered.

Contact the nearest Italian consulate about bringing a Seeing Eye dog into Italy; this requires an import license, a current certificate detailing the dog's inoculations, and a letter from your veterinarian certifying the dog's health.

Local Resources

Informahandicap (Viale Giuseppe Garibaldi 155, 30174, Mestre. 041/5341700. 041/5342257. www.comune.venezia.it/handicap).

Where to Stay

The Italian Government Travel Office (ENIT) can give you a list of hotels that provide access and addresses of Italian associations for travelers with disabilities.

Because Italian lodgings are often in buildings that are several hundred years old, many are not equipped with elevators. Many of them have steps at the entrance. When booking a hotel, inquire about entranceways: ramps are still rare.

In Venice, choose a hotel that has access to a Line 1 or Line 82 vaporetto landing without having to cross a bridge. Newer and newly restored buildings are more likely to meet the latest legal specifications. Some of the better choices in Venice include San Zulian and Ca' Pisani.

Reservations

When discussing accessibility with an operator or reservations agent, ask hard questions. Are there any stairs, inside or out? Are there grab bars next to the toilet and in the shower/tub? How large is the elevator? How wide is the door to the room? To the bathroom? To the shower? If you reserve through a toll-free number, consider also calling the hotel's local number to confirm the information from the central reservations office. Get confirmation in writing when you can.

Sights & Attractions

Most major historic buildings and museums are accessible without having to cross a bridge if you plan ahead and you use the correct vaporetto stop. Palazzo Ducale, Museo Correr, the Campanile di San Marco, Ca' Rezzonico, Palazzo Grassi, Ca' d'Oro, and Scuola di San Rocco have either elevators or stair-climbing machines that accommodate wheelchairs. Gallerie dell'Accademia has one such machine, but visitors must still overcome a few steps connecting exhibit rooms. Most churches, including the Basilica di San Marco, have at least a few steps at their entrances.

Transportation

From the airport, the yellow ACTV bus 5 is ramped for chair loading or you can use a land taxi. Once in Venice, vaporetto Lines 1, 82, and LN (for Laguna Nord) have plenty of deck space and easy cabin entry, however, unless you can navigate a few steps aboard Lines 41, 51, and 61, you'll be forced to ride outdoors, or if the boat is very crowded, you won't even be allowed to board. Boarding water taxis is not easy. Floating docks are rare, and even when the boat can mechanically raise its deck level with the dock, waves can make the transfer exciting, to say the least. Private boats with a driver plus an assistant are available; they arrive equipped to lift and carry disabled passengers safely and comfortably. This service is best arranged by contacting a local tour operator experienced in such transfers who can also help you find rental wheelchairs, crutches, and other mobility aids.

Venice Santa Lucia station is an end-of-the-line train terminal, which means that you won't have to climb down stairs to walk underneath platforms. Though there are plenty of steps at the front door, these are easily bypassed by a ramped exit to your left as you leave the platform. Trenitalia, the Italian rail system, tries hard to accommodate travelers with mobility problems and, at least in Venice and 15 other major cities, they do quite well. If notified ahead of time, porters will meet arriving or departing passengers with a cart that lifts wheelchairs to the level of the train car. Visit its Web site to find out what services might make your trip easier.

Contacts

Kele Teo (Ponte dei Bareteri, San Marco 4930, between San Marco and Rialto. 041/5208722. 041/5208913. www.keleteo.com). Trenitalia (041/785570; 041/785913; 8488-88088 (local call anywhere in Italy). 041-785167 Fax. www.trenitalia.it).