Applications open for Access City Award

The European Commission wants all cities in Europe to be accessible for people with disabilities and for older people.  Cities that are very accessible receive a prize. The prize is called Access City Award. People can now write to the European Comission and say which cities are the most accessible. The best cities will get their prize at the European Day of People with Disabilities Conference. This will be on 7 December 2015.

Have worked hard to make your city more accessible for people with disabilities? Now is your time to shine! The European Commission has opened the application process for the 6th Access City Award, which rewards cities for their effort in creating environments that are accessible for all people, regardless of disability. This year’s edition will recognise European cities for their work in making it easier for older people, or people with disabilities, to gain access to public and private spaces such as housing, children’s play areas, work environments, as well as for improving the accessibility of public transport or communication technologies

A first, second and third prize will be handed out during the European Day of People with Disabilities Conference in Brussels on 7 December 2015. Two cities will also win special mentions. The ‘access to work’ special mention will acknowledge the efforts pubic administration has made to ensure that employment services and initiatives from the private sector, facilitate the access to work for people with disabilities, by making information on jobs accessible to them. The ‘accessible smart cities’ special mention will recognise cities that have ensured that their technologies, user interfaces, and related services are accessible for all.

In the last edition, the winner of the Access City Award was was Borås (Sweden), while Helsinki (Finland) got the second prize, followed by Ljubljana (Slovenia). Logroño (Spain) was awarded a special mention in the field of the built environment and public spaces, Budapest (Hungary) received a special mention for its work in the field of transportation, while Arona (Spain) and Luxembourg got a special mention for public facilities and services.

For more information on how to apply, please click here.