The Town Council of La Laguna will launch a Point Orange during various cultural and leisure activities for the 2025 Christ Festivities, aiming to facilitate attendance and enjoyment for individuals with disabilities. Additionally, a designated area will be set up for citizens with reduced mobility during these events.
The Councillor for Social Welfare, María Cruz, announced that this facility will be inaugurated in the Plaza del Cristo on Friday 5th September at 8:00 PM, prior to the concert by José Vélez. It will also be available on Saturday at the same time for the XLVII Sabandeño Festival, and on Sunday from 8:00 PM, ahead of the performance by the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra.
Throughout the following week, the Point Orange will participate in various cultural and leisure events in La Laguna. These include the Grand Festival for Seniors on Monday 8th from 4:00 PM, the fourth edition of the Inclusive Fair on Wednesday 10th starting at 9:00 AM, the concert dedicated to the Christ of La Laguna by Los Cantadores on Friday 12th at 8:00 PM, and the Night of Traditions on Saturday 13th, also at 8:00 PM. The timings indicate the opening of the Point Orange, not the start of each event.
María Cruz highlighted that “recent enhancements have been made to these portable facilities, including significant upgrades such as the introduction of a live audio description service, with specialised staff narrating in real-time what happens during the event for visually impaired attendees.”
She also added that another newly introduced resource is the ‘communicative book’, which uses pictograms from Arasaac as an Augmentative and Alternative Communication System, aiding those who face communication difficulties in participating.
The event will feature new accessible signage, which will include easy-to-read information and pictograms for better orientation of attendees.
These innovations complement the existing services usually provided to assist individuals with disabilities at such public events, including specialists in augmentative and alternative communication; wheelchair loans for those with reduced mobility; noise-cancelling headphones for people with auditory hypersensitivity or autism spectrum disorders; sensitive backpacks, containing sensory stimulation elements to help regulate emotions and enhance the event experience; and a magnetic loop system, an amplification system for individuals with hearing impairments.
