Ján Prílepol, Mayor of Dolný Kubín. (source: Lukáš Klčo)
The northern Slovakia town of Dolný Kubín has the potential to become the country's centre for disabled athletes.
"It all began when Miroslav Dráb, a native of Dolný Kubín, started training Slovak para ice-hockey players. He asked the town for support in rebuilding the local ice-hockey arena to suit the needs of his players," recalls Mayor Ján Prílepok.
That was 13 years ago. Since then, the arena has become the cradle of para ice-hockey in Slovakia. In addition to barrier-free entrances, changing rooms and social facilities, there are the transparent boards in front of the players' and penalty benches.
"A hockey player in a wheelchair cannot see the ice from the bench. It was a practical thing an able-bodied person wouldn't think of," explains Prílepok.
A barrier-free town
The arena's reconstruction was partly paid for by the Dolný Kubín Town Hall from its own budget. It also received funding from the Slovak Ice-Hockey Association, the Slovak Paralympic Committee and the Sports Support Fund. The mayor says that European funds can be used for several projects.
In addition to para ice-hockey players, floorball players with muscular dystrophy also found support and a place to train in Dolný Kubín. "For them, the sport means not only a form of relaxation, but also the meaning of life," says Prílepok.
A non-profit organisation dedicated to making the town barrier-free and more accessible to the disabled operates here. Its members actively look for places with barriers. One such place was, for example, a police station.
"I walk with my two sons in a stroller by myself and find out how many barriers still exist around town," adds the mayor.
Since para-athletes from all over Slovakia train in Dolný Kubín, the town hall is appealing to hotel and restaurant owners to accommodate them by building barrier-free entrances or elevators.
