Telemark offers experiences for everyone

In Telemark, you will find many activities and accommodations that focus on facilitating for guests with some form of disability.

Skien Leisure Park is very well adapted for an active leisure time, and large parts of the park are universally designed. Accessibility is crucial to ensure everyone has an opportunity to participate. In Skien Leisure Park, the water park, hiking trails, picnic areas, and activities in the park are well adapted. There is free accessible parking and easy access everywhere. The water park, which is the biggest attraction in the park, is equipped with disability-friendly changing rooms, pools, and saunas. The therapy pool has a wheelchair ramp. The wave pool is universally designed, allowing easy access to the "beach" and swimming freely. Hotel Fritidsparken, located idyllically in the middle of the park, received the accessibility award in 2018 and 2020. The hotel has 34 universally designed rooms and can welcome all guests regardless of physical challenges.

Bø Sommarland does not have a universally designed park, but they are working to accommodate everyone as much as possible. They offer wheelchair rentals, including a wheelchair that can be used in the water. They support the Sunflower Label. You can also bring your dog, but it must be kept on a leash and away from the water. Well-paved walkways throughout the park make it easy to get around.

At Høyt & Lavt in Bø, activities are adapted for guests with disabilities and other special needs. They request that you contact them in advance.

Hamaren in Fyresdal is a universally designed activity park. Here, you can move around on universally designed trails that offer many activity options. The park has become a very popular meeting place for all age groups.

TelemarksVeka - for everyone

TelemarksVeka is the country's largest summer event where sports for both able-bodied and disabled individuals are equally valued, 100%. The organizers' ambition is to become Norway's most inclusive event, "TelemarksVeka - for everyone," which means that able-bodied elite athletes should be treated equally with youth with disabilities. This equality extends to all aspects, including awards and recognition.
In collaboration with TV2, Visit Telemark, and local sports clubs, the event promotes the joy of sports and high-level achievements.

TelemarksVeka Para was organized for the first time in June 2022 in collaboration with organizations such as the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports, Olympiatoppen, Stiftelsen VI, anAd several other national and local stakeholders. TelemarksVeka Para will continue in 2023.

Project "Inclusive Tourism in Telemark"

The businesses in Mid-Telemark had recognized the need for better accessibility for guests with disabilities for some time but lacked knowledge about the best way to do it. Consequently, the project "Inclusive Tourism in Telemark" was initiated, where 15 tourism businesses in Mid-Telemark collaborated to improve travel and experience offerings for guests with disabilities.

None of the participating businesses have the capacity to become fully universally accessible, but they are all working towards making accommodations to the extent possible.

A common element for all participants in the project is the use of the Sunflower Symbol. The Sunflower Symbol is a discreet way to indicate to those around you that you have an invisible disability and may require additional assistance, help, or simply some extra time. By wearing this symbol/band, employees can easily ask if you need help and how they can assist you. The Sunflower Symbol is intended for both adults and children.

Skien Leisure Park offers "Good Experiences for everyone"

At Skien Leisure Park, they adhere to the vision of "Good Experiences for All!"

The park aims to ensure that individuals with disabilities who visit the park have equal opportunities to participate in the numerous activities it offers.

Skien Leisure Park and the Skien Leisure Park Hotel are located 3 km from downtown Skien in a peaceful area with large green spaces and excellent hiking opportunities in forests and fields. Here, you can enjoy good experiences regardless of your disability, whether it be limited mobility, visual impairment, hearing impairment, allergies, or asthma.

A significant portion of the park is universally accessible, and they have made extensive efforts to accommodate individuals with disabilities. The water park, hiking trails, and some of the outdoor activities are well-suited for those with special needs who seek an active leisure time.

In 2018, Skien Leisure Park Hotel received the municipality's accessibility award for the renovation of the restaurant and meeting room facilities. Among other improvements, they installed loop systems and ceiling lifts in the rooms. In the summer of 2022, the hotel will offer an additional 24 new accessible rooms for various needs in addition to the rooms they currently have.

The park has collaborated with several organizations, including the Norwegian Association of Disabled (Funksjonshemmedes Fellesorganisasjon), the Municipal Council for People with Disabilities (Det kommunale Rådet for mennesker med nedsatt funksjonsevne), the Norwegian Association of Disabled (Norges Handikapforbund), and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (Foreningen for muskelsyke). Additionally, the Asthma and Allergy Association (Astma- og allergiforeningen) and the Association of the Hearing Impaired (Hørselshemmedes Landsforbund) provide valuable input in their work. The kitchen, menus, and dining hall all reflect these efforts.