Access City Award

Let’s celebrate 15 years of the Access City Award!

We are pleased to welcome you back to the Access City Award (ACA) newsletter and to celebrate the 15th anniversary of this award with you. Over the past 14 years, 85 cities across the European Union have been awarded for ensuring accessibility for persons with disabilities. As we head into the 15th anniversary of the award, this is an opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved on accessibility of cities, the challenges that remain, and how we can make the best out of the award and its network of winner cities.

This issue features the launch of the Access City Award 2025 competition. It includes resources to help you prepare and submit your ACA 2025 application, as well as shareable content for you to use on your own channels to help spread the word.

Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, is delighted to launch the Access City Award 2025 edition

Watch the launch video:

This EU award recognises cities that have done outstanding work to become more accessible for persons with disabilities. The award is organised by the European Commission in partnership with the European Disability Forum. The winner and runners-up receive a monetary prize:

• 1st place: EUR 150 000
• 2nd place: EUR 120 000
• 3rd place: EUR 80 000

Applicants may also receive a Special Mention award if they have done exceptional work on accessibility in a particular area. For example, on built environment and public space; mobility, transport, and related infrastructure; information and communication, including ICT; or public facilities and services.

The 2025 Access City Award competition is now open for applications. Cities across the EU with over 50 000 inhabitants are eligible to apply. If a country has fewer than two cities of this size, smaller cities can combine their populations to meet the 50 000-inhabitant requirement and apply together.

This year, in honour of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the European Commission intends to award a Special Mention on ‘Accessible Sports Infrastructure’. This aims to recognise a city that has made high-quality and inclusive sports experiences accessible to all. Alongside the health benefits sports can bring, they can also provide an avenue for inclusion, integration and cohesion.

The winners will be announced during the European Day of Persons with Disabilities Conference on 28 and 29 November 2024, with first, second and third place prizes and up to five special mentions being awarded, including the Special Mention for Accessible Sports Infrastructure.

 Applications must be completed and submitted online by 10 September 2024 (23:59 CET). Could your city be the 2025 EU winner?

The Access City Award, created in 2010 by the European Commission, rewards EU cities for prioritising accessibility for persons with disabilities. Accessibility improves life for everyone and is essential to ensure equal access to fundamental rights and city offerings for over 100 million EU citizens with disabilities.

Over 14 years, 85 cities have won an Access City Award or Special Mention, from Ávila in 2011 to San Cristóbal de La Laguna in 2024. These cities develop inclusive solutions on accessibility involving persons with disabilities, policymakers and practitioners, enhancing sustainability and resilience.

The selection process for the Access City Award is divided into two phases: pre-selection at national level and final selection at European level. The national juries in each country shortlist a maximum of three cities. Out of the pre-selected candidates, the European Jury selects the winners. The juries consider measures taken and planned in the following areas:

1. The buit environment and public spaces
2. Transport and related infrastructure
3. Information and communication, including new information and communication technologies
4. Public facilities and services
5. Exemplary considerations of accessible sports infrastructure (for the Special Mention)

The successful applicant must demonstrate a coherent approach to accessibility across all four areas and an ambitious vision.

Be clear and precise: Ensure that your application is straightforward and well-organised. This helps the national and European Jury to fully understand and appreciate your city’s efforts in accessibility.

Use facts and numbers: Provide concrete examples supported by both qualitative and quantitative data. Highlight key achievements and illustrate your points with relevant statistics.

Showcase your strategy: Clearly outline your approach to accessibility. Detail the strategies and methodologies you implemented, and emphasise any innovative or extraordinary measures taken.

Provide a timeline: Specify the launch dates of your activities and discuss future developments. This helps in assessing your progress and long-term commitment to accessibility.

Language of submission: Although you can submit in any official EU language, submitting in English is encouraged for a faster evaluation process.

Help to spread the word about the Access City Award so that eligible cities can apply for the 15th anniversary edition. The winner and runners-up will join the Access City Award network, consisting of pioneering EU cities in accessibility, and receive an economic incentive to continue their work on accessibility.

In the communication toolkit, you can find ready-to‑use materials to promote ACA through your own channels, including:

• A launch press chapeau of the ACA 2025 launch in 24 EU languages
• ACA 2025 banners
• Editable social media posts
• Social media visuals
• Visual style elements of ACA 2025

Access City Award 2024 winners

Explore how the Access City Award 2024 winners, runners-up, and special mentions have led the way in advancing accessibility in their cities. Delve into their achievements to gain practical insights and strategies that can help improve accessibility within your city and enhance your application.

Do you have any news, events or publications you would like to see published in the Access City Award newsletter?