A catamaran to break down barriers with a “special” helmsman at the controls: Andrea Stella, confined to a wheelchair after an accident 21 years ago in the United States. In August 2000 Andrea Stella, twenty-four years old from Thiene (VI) on vacation in Miami, is involved in an inexplicable shooting that causes him irreversible damage. Lover of boating, Andrea dreams of going back to sailing and so he builds a catamaran that can also be used by a disabled person.
The results obtained show that, in the design of objects and places, attention to the needs of people with mobility difficulties represents a strength and not a weakness.
- Andrea, with your “Spirito di Stella” you made the “Giro d'Italia solidarity” which also involved Cagliari.
“We were guests of the Navy in the dock of the Cagliari port. From Cagliari comes a new strong message of my WoW project - Wheels On Waves protagonist along the Italian coasts, standard-bearer of the sea and inclusion ".
- What does the initiative consist of?
“The WoW project, conceived and promoted by the“ Lo Spirito di Stella ”Association, since 2017 allows people of different cultures and abilities to live the unique and unforgettable experience of going out to sea on a sailing boat. The mission: to demonstrate that architectural barriers can be broken down. The goal: to launch the appeal to respect the values enshrined in the UN Convention for the rights of people with disabilities. For those who participated in the first four editions, "WoW" represented a large "inclusive family" with which each member of the crew learned to value their diversity. And this is the spirit in which the new edition is also taking place ”.
