A project to use the e-bike, purchased last year thanks to a grant from the “Neri – Ferramosca” Association and the I’ Giglio Sports Club.
A breath of happiness and relief caresses the faces of the elderly residents at the “EMD Ciapetti” nursing homes, who are confined to wheelchairs but have, for the past few days, been able to travel comfortably aboard a “Veloplus,” the e-bike purchased last year thanks to contributions from the “Riccardo Neri and Alessio Ferramosca” Association, Polisportiva I’Giglio, and numerous private citizens (cost: approximately 12,000 euros)
“I’m Going Biking Too at Casa Ciapetti” is the title of the project, which involves about twenty elderly residents from the two facilities (the Pieve nursing home and the one on Via Timignano). Over the coming months, they will be able to enjoy the opportunity to get out into the fresh air (when, of course, weather conditions permit) and interact with the Castelfiorentino community, even in places farther away from the facilities themselves.
As you may recall, the “Veloplus” is simply an electric bike, but one with truly innovative features: it allows people with mobility issues to be transported while remaining comfortably seated in their own wheelchairs, without ever having to leave them. Last year, the e-bike was purchased thanks to a project sponsored by the municipal government, which took up and promoted an idea proposed by a teacher at the Comprehensive School (Francesca Lorino, a member and cyclist with the Polisportiva) to give a student with mobility issues the chance to experience the unique thrill of a bike ride.
“The idea,” notes Francesca Lorino, “came from reading Margherita Hack’s autobiographical novel My Life on a Bicycle, in which the famous scientist at one point reflects on the wonderful sensation of ‘the wind in her face’ experienced during her bike rides. This led to the proposal that a student at “Bacci Ridolfi” with a disability might also enjoy this sensation, and to a fundraiser to purchase a “Veloplus,” which was a huge success thanks to the support of the City and the collaborative efforts of many associations and citizens. “Today, seeing with my own eyes the seniors who are able to use it and witnessing their enthusiasm, I am truly moved.”
“Veloplus is no longer just a project,” emphasizes Federica Parisi, Councilor for Social and Health Policies, “but a reality that our seniors in nursing homes—and not just them—can embrace to experience new sensations, revisit places they may have almost forgotten, have more opportunities to connect with people, and, in short, participate more fully in the life of the Castelfiorentino community. It was purchased with the intention of shared use and can therefore be utilized on other occasions, in the spirit of inclusive and participatory mobility. In short, this is a wonderful achievement that stems from the irreplaceable contributions of associations and many private citizens.”
