Credit: European Commission
The European Commission announced on Friday that Luxembourg City has won the 2022 Access City Award for becoming more accessible to persons with disabilities.
A jury of accessibility experts recognised the city for its wide range of innovative solutions and improvements to enhance accessibility for persons with disabilities.
According to the jury, the city has made accessibility a priority. It follows a "Design for All" approach to make access easier for everyone, including persons with disabilities. Low-floor buses equipped with ramps are present across the city as well as visual and audio announcements on buses and at bus stops. The city regularly consults its residents with disabilities, to ensure its action has the desired effect. Moreover, Luxembourg City makes information about political decisions accessible for everyone by making key council meetings available in sign language, on top of spoken language and accessible transcription.
The award was presented on Friday afternoon at the Access City Award Ceremony by European Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, who said: "Imagine that you want to take a bus, but you cannot board it. Or that your child is unable to play with other children because the playground is not accessible. Accessibility makes a real difference in daily life. It is about autonomy and equality. This is why with the Access City Award we recognise the efforts to make cities more accessible and inclusive. I congratulate this year's winner, Luxembourg City, for its commitment to equal opportunities for persons with disabilities".
To mark the European Year of Rail, the Commission has awarded a special mention to Porto in Portugal for improving the accessibility of its train stations.
For the 2022 Access City Award, the Commission received 40 applications. The city of Helsinki in Finland and the city of Barcelona in Spain were the second and third place winners.
Finally, Leuven in Belgium and Palma in Spain received a special mention. Leuven was recognised for mainstreaming accessibility, including in the digital area. Palma won a special mention for improving access to the physical environment, including beaches and parks.
Background
Around 87 million people in the European Union (EU) have a disability. The Access City Award, organised by the European Commission together with the European Disability Forum, is one of the actions of the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 to build a Europe without barriers.
The Access City Award was launched in 2010 to raise awareness of disability and promote accessibility initiatives in European cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants. The prize is about ensuring equal access to city life for persons with disabilities. The initiative aims to encourage cities to inspire one another to innovate and share good practices.
The award is given to the city that has demonstrably improved accessibility in fundamental aspects of city living, and that has concrete plans for further improvements.
The Access City Award is presented at the yearly European Day of Persons with Disabilities conference, which is attended by around 400 participants from all over the EU.
