Social Agenda Issue 54

ACCESSIBLE CITIES Anna, Sanja, Hugo - what accessibility really means Citizens with or without disabilities explain why accessibility matters to them For eight years now, the European Commission and the European Disability Forum have been rewarding cities that have improved accessibility to citizens with disabilities to the built environment and public spaces, to transportation, information and communication, as well as to public facilities and services. On 4 December 2018, the 2019 EU Access City Award ceremony was a bit special: It took place less than a month after the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers had come to a provisional agreement on a legislative breakthrough - the Commission’s proposal for a European Accessibility Act, the final adoption of which is due in March. It will make many everyday products and services more accessible to persons with disabilities (see page 8). And the winner this time was the city of Breda (Netherlands), with Evreux (France) and Gdynia (Poland) taking the second and third place, out of a total of 52 applications. Feeling isolated “Too often, people with disabilities feel isolated because they cannot access public spaces or transport”, European Commissioner Marianne Thyssen (see page 14) stated when awarding the prize. “In Breda, public spaces such as parks and stores are accessible to everyone. Digital technologies ensure that all citizens can get around using public transport. And Breda’s investments pay off. Tourism is thriving thanks to the city’s commitment to inclusion. The European Accessibility Act will complement Breda’s efforts by setting European accessibility standards for key products and services”. The Access City Award was presented at the European Day of Persons with Disabilities conference, an annual event which was attended by around 400 participants coming to Brussels from all over Europe. Difficult to get through: Too often, people with disabilities feel isolated because they cannot access public spaces or transport. © Belga Image 2 4 / SOC I A L AG E NDA / MA R C H 2 0 1 9