Disabled

Inclusivity is the path to securing the fundamental rights of all people (with and without disabilities) and to breaking down barriers of any kind, from architectural to social. The City of Lugano adopts measures to prevent, eliminate, or reduce disadvantages for people with disabilities.

Election and voting assistance

People with low vision need good lighting and excellent image contrast. A cold light lamp for the visually impaired is in operation at the Lugano Centro polling station on voting and election Sundays.

In addition, to promote the accessibility of election-related information to blind and visually impaired citizens, audio files presenting voting texts and instructions are made at all polls and elections . The City of Lugano relies on Unitas-Associazione ciechi e ipovedenti della Svizzera italiana (Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired of Italian Switzerland) to make the audio files, which are available on the page Cittadini ciechi e ipovedenti in the section dedicated to elections and voting. Thanks in part to this initiative, Lugano won the award as an Innovative municipality.

Anyone unable to vote independently may be accompanied into the voting booth (accompanied voting); the electoral office assesses the physical incapacity of each individual case-by-case, even if a medical certificate is presented.

Ceremonies: sign language translation

For the New Year's Day ceremony, held on 1st January, and for the City Council inauguration, which takes place every four years, a sign language interpreter is present throughout the entire event.

For the International Volunteer Day ceremony, celebrated on 5 December, official speeches from the City Council and a reception are held. If the presence of deaf individuals is reported, sign language translation is provided.

Municipal buildings: accessibility

As mandated by the Federal Law on the Elimination of Disadvantages for Disabled Persons (LDis), the related Ordinance (ODis), the Legge edilizia cantonale of 13 March 1991, and the technical regulations issued by the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (SIA), new constructions, renovations, and significant transformations of municipal buildings ensure access and usability for people with disabilities.

Parking: information for all of Switzerland

Wheelchair-accessible parking spaces for the disabled that are available in Lugano, as well as in the rest of Switzerland, are marked on the parcheggiodisabili.ch platform through an interactive map that provides detailed information on their precise location, as well as practical alerts concerning the areas in question, the presence of construction sites, tunnels, passes, webcams, and the condition of the roads.

The Swiss Paraplegic Association's Paramap App and the TCS-Touring Club of Switzerland's online map with the traffic situation can also be consulted.

Associations

There are numerous organizations, associations, and groups that provide support to people with various types of disabilities and their families, offering assistance and opportunities for social interaction.