In May we participated in our first Skarrozzata with the Italian distributor of our handbikes, Ottobock Italia. Skarrozzata is a cultural movement that has been held for the past four years on the streets of Bologna and aims to raise awareness of what it means to be in a wheelchair.

The meeting point in Bologna was the Margherita Gardens, a lovely place to start our tour of the city along with one hundred others excited to experience this initiative.

As Ottobock technician Federico told us, “It’s interesting to see how people who have never seen the world of the disabled up close can get a first-hand look at the barriers that make the life of someone that is disabled more difficult, all in a wonderful setting with a fun, laid-back atmosphere. Perhaps what I liked best was that I didn’t have the sensation that people felt sorry for those in wheelchairs, which without meaning to emphasises the disability. I felt like there were a lot of people united and happy despite their differences.”

“The change of perspective,” said Arianna, head of Mobility at Ottobock, “The fact that you find yourself in a situation where you have to tackle the challenge of a step or an uneven pavement, and the exhaustion that comes from using the chair in the wrong way and with little training, made us aware of the difficulties people in wheelchairs and their relatives have to face every day.”

And Arianna continued, “I saw two friends competing. One was going faster than the other and they didn’t understand why. I told them the difference isn't down to strength or weakness, but the fact that they were using two different types of chairs: one was in a standard wheelchair that requires the help of an companion, and the other was using an active wheelchair, which is more manageable and better suited to self-propulsion. Not to mention those who were using a wheelchair add-on device. They were the luckiest, always out in front with little to no effort!”

“Skarrozzata can be seen as an interactive workshop in which participants are also narrators of the disabled experience,” explained Raffaelle.

It was great for the Batec team that went to Skarrozzata to see how a highly varied group of people experienced this fun, carefree event, overcoming mental barriers and becoming aware of architectural barriers that make it difficult to get around the city in a wheelchair. Without a doubt, it would be great to experience this sort of event here in Spain as well.