2016

LVM Nature Park in Tērvete Receives an “Apeiron” Award

The organization “Apeiron” is an NGO where people with and without disabilities are together and as one of the recent events was its annual award ceremony. Within the event was evaluated places, buildings that support people with disabilities, and ways how the environment would be more accessible for them. LVM Nature Park in Tērvete receives an award for the most accessible point of interest that was also supported by families with kids.

“Thanks to “Apeiron” for the high evaluation. Each year JSC “Latvia’s State Forests” (LVM) maintains and landscapes recreational areas, improving places with an aim to make them more accessible and enjoyable for any park visitor, as well as families with kids and people with disabilities. Not all surroundings of LVM Nature Park in Tērvete are that accessible, but we are trying to offer magical world of the park to everybody making it more accessible to the visitors in order to enjoy every corner of the forest and forget about the tourist paths. Each year, the number of visitors keeps rising, thereby offer of leisure activities/facilities is getting wider and it is meant for different ages and interest groups”, says woodcarving workshop manager of “LVM Recreation and Hunting” – Jānis Udrass.

LVM Nature Park in Tērvete information center is accessible for people with disabilities, as well as part of park trails and especially new wooden bridge – a laboratory, designed considering the needs of this part of society.

“To determine the most accessible buildings and projects of 2016, we crossed whole Latvia, visited and evaluated 11,000 places. This year, unlike other years, prizes will receive places with added value – places, where people with disabilities can not only get around easily but also relax and learn, whereas in other places it would not be possible. Of course, there are many other places, buildings, and objects in Latvia that are necessary to improve and make accessible, but I am glad that each year even more new and redesigned old buildings are improved to make them accessible not only for people with disabilities but also for elderly and mothers with baby strollers. People are starting to realize that accessibility of the environment is not and extra, but necessity”, the chairman of the board of organization “Apeiron” – Ivars Balodis shares its opinion.

“Apeiron” awards for the contribution in facilitating environment accessibility were given in seven nominations: Daugavpils University received the award in “Education for all”, “Hospitality” received camp site “Apaļkalns”, Skrunda Manor got an award as one of the most accessible cultural and historical objects by proving that a status of cultural and historical object is not an obstacle to making the surroundings accessible. The most accessible place where to meet is announced the Cēsu Central Library, while an award for the most active accessibility facilitator got the Liepāja Society of the Blind. As the most considerate building of 2016 was announced the Rīga Motor Museum, which received the “Apeiron” award in the nomination of “Golden Crutch”. This award receives an object that meets all the requirements of the environment accessibility law.

Last year JSC “Latvia’s State Forests” received the “Apeiron” award “Responsible Attitude” for promoting the accessibility of environment by upgrading recreational areas, boat berths and points of interest.