The city is now 95% accessible to everyone, and the authorities continually review the infrastructure, listening to the residents and making as many improvements as possible.
Photo: Wikipedia
Newsroom (June 10, 2022, 10:30 AM, Gaudium Press) After 10 years of systematic work, the Old City of Jerusalem is more accessible to the disabled and elderly.
Gura Berger, spokesperson for East Jerusalem Development. Co. which implemented the project, explained that both the Old City and its walls are declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, requiring planners to carefully consider changes as they accommodate the needs of residents and millions of visitors a year within a historic area less than half a square mile in size.
The work included sidewalk renovation, replacement of underground infrastructure, including sewer; planning and construction of accessibility ramps, façade painting, awnings, air-conditioning adjustments, cabling, and organization of entrances for businesses and residences, each requiring individualized planning depending on their different circumstances.
The closure to access due to the pandemic allowed the completion of work on the last and most sensitive mile of the historic stone alleys of the Via Dolorosa – the Via Sacra.
“We worked day and night and made (1 mile – 1.6 km) accessible in two years,” Berger said. “These are the most sentimental (miles) because for the first time in history the Via Dolorosa is accessible. We did something important because people really come here with awe and respect for the holy city.”
The project was carried out by the Ministry of Jerusalem and Israel Heritage in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism, Jerusalem Municipality, Israel Antiquities Authority, Jerusalem Development Authority and East Jerusalem Development Co.
An app – Accessible JLM-Old City – is available in nine languages and maps the accessible routes within the Old City.
In addition, some 60 beacons of the planned 200 that use Bluetooth technology have been installed to guide visually impaired people. The beacons are accessed automatically through the downloadable Step-Hear app, which for now is only available in Hebrew and English, but other languages are being planned, Berger said.
Tickets to the Wailing Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif have also been made available. However, the sites themselves are privately owned and not under the domain of the project.
With information from Ucanews.
Compiled by Sarah Gangl