Albufeira’s municipal archaeological museum is closing on Monday (October 15) for renovations that are expected to last around a month.
The works will cost around €283,000 although national tourism authority Turismo de Portugal will be contributing €151,000 as part of a funding scheme to make tourist attractions “more accessible”.
In fact, most of the improvements will involve making the museum easier to access for people with disabilities.
The works will involve creating handicapped parking spaces near the museum and setting up a ramp at the entrance. At the reception there will also be a new merchandise stand that can be seen by people who are in wheelchairs.
Restrooms will be completely renovated and include an accessible toilet, a diaper changing station and an area for guide dogs to eat and drink.
Many of the museum’s rooms and exhibitions will also receive new information panels and audio guides in a variety of languages including Portuguese, English, Spanish, French and German.
The visually-impaired will also have access to information about some of the museum’s exhibitions and artefacts in Braille.
Mayor José Carlos Rolo is delighted that the project is moving forward, saying that culture is one of the borough’s biggest assets and that it has to be available to everyone.
“We are an accessible borough and we work continuously to abolish all barriers. Without doing so, we could not call ourselves a welcoming destination, which we already are not only at our many public buildings but also at our beaches.”
