San Cristóbal de La Laguna has prioritised the accessibility of persons with disabilities across urban spaces, transportation systems, and social activities. For example, all vehicles and all stations of the city’s tram network are fully accessible, and the city centre has acoustic traffic lights and tactile paving to guide visually impaired people.
In 2021, the municipality launched the Orange Point, a mobile space with resources for inclusive and accessible events. The city’s commitment to accessibility is also exemplified by various other initiatives, including a disability council and an ombudsman for persons with disabilities.
The city of Łódź (Poland) was awarded the second-place prize for implementing comprehensive standards of accessibility to guide all municipal investments, and the city of Saint-Quentin (France) won the third place for improving accessibility of the city’s public transport network.
In addition, Tübingen (Germany) received a special mention for its city development aligned with the principles of accessibility and the New European Bauhaus, and South Dublin County (Ireland) got a special mention for landscape and playground areas.
Across Europe, millions of persons with disabilities struggle to use transportation, access buildings, enjoy parks and other shared spaces, and navigate websites. This can stop them from working, getting to appointments, socialising, accessing information needed for their daily lives. For many, this means not being able to enjoy the basic things in life that many of us take for granted. That is why the Access City Award exists. This award celebrates all that cities do to become more accessible to all citizens but especially persons with disabilities. This is a step towards ensuring equality for all.
Details
- Publication date
- 5 December 2023
- Author
- Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion