Wheelchair Accessibility | Vila Margarida

VILA MARGARIDA IS WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

Vila Margarida has recently been adapted to allow full wheelchair accessibility on both the ground and first floor.

A fully enclosed lift / elevator has been installed from ground floor to first floor. On the ground floor the lift is accessed from the corridor between the master bedroom and its en-suite bathroom and upstairs it opens to the dining room. The lift has sufficient space for a large wheelchair and a second ambulant passenger. It has glass sides so it has great views out to the sea.

On the ground floor it is possible for a wheelchair user to enter via the front door from the driveway to access any of the bedrooms. The master bedroom and both of the ground floor twin bedrooms can also be accessed from the patio doors along the poolside.

A wheelchair user can access all bedrooms on the ground floor. The master bedroom allows for far more space for manoeuvre and therefore would be the obvious choice of accommodation for a wheelchair user.

On the first floor on leaving the lift in the dining room a wheelchair user can access all the rooms upstairs including kitchen, landing, lounge and upstairs terrace. Access to the 5th bedroom, a twin and the only bedroom on the upper floor, is also possible.

OTHER FEATURES FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS

A poolside hot and cold wheelchair accessible shower has been installed at Vila Margarida. It is enclosed on 3 sides to offer privacy and shelter from any breeze.

The open side faces away from the pool and villa and towards the private, enclosed garden.

This will enable showering for those happy to use outdoor facilities although this may not be ideal for some in the cooler months.

There is no indoor wet room at Vila Margarida. There are 2 bathrooms, both with over-bath shower both on the ground floor and 2 shower rooms with traditional shower cubicles one on the ground floor and one on the first floor.

There is ample shaded and open space by the poolside, all on the same level and wheelchair accessible. There is also a poolside shaded cabana and outdoor kitchen with 2 ring gas hob, fridge, barbecue and hot and cold sink.

Upstairs there is a large terrace with sea views. Recently installed is a large retractable awning so that this space can be shaded or not as desired.

All floor areas are tiled, both inside and out and every effort has been made to make all crossovers between rooms and inside to outside as smooth for a wheelchair as possible.

WHY HAS VILA MARGARIDA BEEN ADAPTED FOR WHEELCHAR USE?

Our names are Steve and Fiona and we bought Vila Margarida in 2000 and have enjoyed holidaying here ourselves, as well as renting to guests, since our 4, now adult, children were very young.

In that time we have made many modernisations and alterations, reinvesting any profit from rentals back into this beautiful villa.

In spring 2017 Steve, a keen cyclist, had a fluke cycling accident which resulted in a broken neck and permanent tetraplegia. It was a long road to recovery, with 16 months in hospital, but once home Steve was determined to get back to his beloved Vila Margarida.

In April 2019 he managed his first trip and once he had proved to himself and everyone else that holidaying at Vila Margarida would work for him the logical next improvements were to adapt Vila Margarida for his needs. The most important adaptation for Steve was adding a lift so that he can access all the social spaces at Vila Margarida so this was added in spring 2020.

Whilst these adaptations have been made mainly to allow Steve to enjoy Vila Margarida as fully as possible once again, we hope these added adaptations will help other less mobile guests and other wheelchair users to benefit from the joy and relaxation that a holiday at Vila Margarida can bring.

In adding facilities for Steve we have ensured that Vila Margarida remains as beautiful as ever, avoiding anything that might give her an overly clinical appearance. We want Vila Margarida to look and 'feel' the way it has always felt and we believe that returning holidaymakers who have visited before (and we have many of those) will not see it as modified for accessibility, but simply modernised with more facilities!

This does mean that some things that many disabled people might desire or even require have not been installed. We haven't for example installed grab rails and bars or a bed hoist or pool hoist or any specialist furniture and we are keen to ensure that any disabled guests who might consider holidaying at Vila Margarida are as aware of what is not available to them as those additions that we have made. If you are unsure please ask! We are very happy to communicate and give you all the information that you require. We have hired equipment locally for Steve to use on holiday and our plan is to continue to do so therefore we can point you in the right direction for hire of mobile hoists etc.