Jerusalem Development Authority announces 20 million shekel project to open the Old City, Western Wall for tourists with disabilities.
Accessibility ramps and other improvements are being added throughout Jerusalem’s Old City, allowing the disabled easier access to the Western Wall 3,000 years after Solomon built his Temple there, the Jerusalem Development Authority (JDA) announced Tuesday.
A special project of the Jerusalem Development Authority, the Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs Office, the Jerusalem Municipality and Social Security, the project will see ramps built in the Jewish Quarter, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the City of David – places that were previously inaccessible to the handicapped. The project will cost, in total, roughly 20 million shekel ($5.75 million).
Improvements include installing sloping ramps over stairs to help wheelchairs maneuver comfortably, changing signs to accommodate visitors with vision problems, and other cues to help the handicapped find their way.