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Madrid Local Reference INFOrmation

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Notes for the Disabled in Madrid

Overview of where to go and what to do if you are mobility, sight or hearing impaired - a wheelchair or cane user - and living in or visiting Madrid. Information on the Spanish organisations and facilities.

Information for the disabled and application forms for the Disabled Person's Card, are available from the local Town Hall (ayuntamiento).
Note: You must be a Spanish resident to qualify for the card.

Most larger towns have suppliers of mobility aids and other equipment for the disabled which can be bought or rented: wheelchairs (silla de ruedas), mini-lifts, mobility scooters, walkers and general orthopaedic equipment. Ask at an English-speaking pharmacy or look in the Páginas Amarillas (Spanish yellow pages) under the heading "discapacitado" or "minusválido".

Spanish Associations for the Disabled and Mobility Reduced

Organización Nacional de Discapacitados (National Organisation for the Disabled)
At: Covadonga, 5 - 1º E, Oviedo 33002 Asturias
APSA: Asociaciones de Discapacitados (Disabled Association)
At: Zarandieta, 7 03005 Alicante
COCEMFE: Association for the disabled for their integration in the work place.
ONCE Spanish organisation for the blind (website in English)

Spanish International Airports

The European Parliament passed a regulation which will facilitate air flights for people with reduced mobility. This should be put into practice in 2008. The regulations establish that people with reduced mobility should have free, special assistance when needed in airplanes, airports, baggage check in and with flight connections.

Responsibility has been passed to the airports to accommodate the needs of the disabled traveller. Air companies will still be at liberty to provide services to people with reduced mobility.

Vehicles adapted with ramps are available from local companies for transport to and from international airports.

For further information see the Spanish Airports website

Parking

Cars parked in disabled spaces must display the disabled sticker or blue badge in the window. A Spanish resident may request a disabled sticker and information on applying for a blue badge from their local Town Hall.

The blue badge is a standardised European Community disabled person's parking permit which provides parking entitlements to badge holders in all complying European countries - a blue badge from one country is valid in another. A person coming to Spain from another EU country can apply in their home country for this universal badge which allows the use of reserved parking.

Disabled spaces in car parks reserved for disabled people are marked with a wheelchair symbol
Do not park if the space is marked with a vehicle registration number
Some car parks allow vehicles displaying a disabled parking sign to park free of charge
There are no concessions for disabled drivers on roadside parking
Full details from the ITF (International Transport Forum): Click here

Driver's with a blue badge from another European country may display this Spanish translation beside a badge written in another language (text from the UK Automobile Association):

Tarjeta de aparcamiento para minusválidos.

La persona que muestra esta

tarjeta de aparcamiento es un

visitante minusválido procedente de

otro pais europeo, y tiene derecho a

los mismos privilegios de

aparcamiento que un minusválido

residente en su pais.

Modelo de la Comunidad Europea

See the UK Automobile Association website for more information: Click here
To see a sample badge: Click here (PDF)

Services & Facilities in Madrid

Most crossings on the streets of Madrid have wheelchair ramps. The crossings are also equipped with beeping devices for the sight impaired.

Most of Madrid's main attractions have disabled access, and some of them offer wheelchairs for hire.

Underground

About half of the underground stops in Madrid are suitable for wheelchair access. It is possible to obtain a metro map showing which stops have disabled access at any metro station or at tourist offices.

Taxis

A special company, called Eurotaxi, offer cabs with disabled access. It is possible to book one of these taxis 24 hours a day:

It is possible to book one of these taxis 24 hours a day:
Tel: 915 478 600 or 915 478 200

Bus and suburban trains

The Madrid bus service does not have facilities for disabled people. The suburban trains, on the other hand, have a company policy to accommodate disabled passengers.

Associations for the disabled and mobility reduced in Madrid

FAMMA has information about services, events, sports and facilities.

FAMMA
At: Calle Galileo 69, 28015 Madrid
Tel: 915 933 550
Fax: 915 939 243
Website (in Spanish)

ONCE is a foundation dedicated to employment projects for disabled people. The website, in both Spanish and English, offers information about accessibility, employment, projects and much more:

ONCE
At: Calle S. Herrera 15, Madrid
Tel: 915 058 888
e-mail
Website
Fundación ONCE (information for the blind)
At: Avenida La Universidad 20, 28011 Leganes
Tel: 916 803 301
And also at: Colón 2, 28931 Mostoles
Tel: 916 175 033
Website

Discapnet provides information for disabled people.

Discapnet
At: Calle Albasanz 16 (Edificio Antalia) Planta 3 B1 (Fundosa Teleservicios), 29037 Madrid
Tel: 911 210 330/46/60
Fax: 913 757 051
e-mail
Website (in Spanish)

COCEMFE (Confederación Coordinadora Estatal de Minusválidos Físicos de España) is a non-governmental organisation that promotes improvement of living conditions of disabled people in Spain.

Their website offers information about employment, projects, subventions, curses and more:

COCEMFE
At: Calle Luis Cabrera 63, 28002 Madrid
Tel: 917 443 600
e-mail
Website (in Spanish)

CERMI (Spanish National Council of Disabled Representatives) represents, defends and acts on behalf of Spanish citizens with disabilities (more than 3.5 million) and their families.

See their English-language website for information: Click here (in English)

The FEDMF (Spanish Sports Federation for the Physical Disabled) has a website that features information about sports, events and more:

FEDMF
At: Calle Ferraz 16, 28008 Madrid
Tel: 915 471 718
Fax: 915 419 961
e-mail
Website (in Spanish)

Other Spanish Organisations

Help for people affected by Alzheimer Tel: 913 440 394
Pensions and Complaints for Disabled Tel: 914 206 900
Action Plan and Programs for Incapacitated People Tel: 915 612 472
Prevention and Attention to People affected by Physical Handicaps Tel: 915 613 839
Services for Disabled Tel: 915 803 672
Spanish Deaf Federation Tel: 913 565 832

Other associations

Calibre Audio Books: UK charity, Calibre, supplies audio books in English on cassette or disk to visually impaired and disabled people. The free service is available to members (registration can be made via the website). Free postal service is available to anywhere in Europe.