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A C C E S S •C I T Y
THE EUROPEAN AWARD
FOR ACCESSIBLE CITIES
MAKING EUROPE’S URBAN ENVIRONMENT ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL
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More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu).
Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication.
Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2011
ISBN 978-92-79-19711-6
doi:10.2838/34235
Pictures: © European Commission
© European Union, 2011
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
Printed in Belgium
PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER
M A K I N G E U R O P E ’ S U R B A N E N V I R O N M E N T A CC E S S I B L E F O R A L L




Table of contents
Foreword                                                                                                                        3

The Access • City Award initiative: goals and actions                                                                           4

Inaugural Award: Access • City 2011                                                                                             6

Ávila, Spain – leading Europe in accessibility                                                                                  8

Three highly commended runners-up                                                                                             10
Barcelona, Spain – a pioneer in urban accessibility                                                                           10
Cologne, Germany – creating a ‘city for all’                                                                                  11
Turku, Finland – accessibility even in challenging weather conditions                                                         12

Good practice across Europe                                                                                                   13
Barnsley, UK – extending the range of city services                                                                           13
Dublin, Ireland – intelligent use of ICT                                                                                      14
Grenoble, France – an investment in transport infrastructure                                                                  14
Malmö, Sweden – adapting the built environment for the future                                                                 15
M A K I N G E U R O P E ’ S U R B A N E N V I R O N M E N T A CC E S S I B L E F O R A L L




                                                     Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium and
                                                   Commissioner Viviane Reding at the award ceremony



FOREWORD
                                                                                                                                                                 3
Most people take it for granted that they can hop          the increasing numbers of ageing citizens living in
on a bus to go shopping, surf the internet or              our cities that also have to cope with numerous
enjoy a TV series. For 80 million Europeans with           barriers in the urban environment.
a disability, there may be numerous obstacles
that put these activities out of their reach.              Accessibility is at the core of the European Disa-
                                                           bility Strategy 2010-2020 and it means that people
The European Union wants to drastically improve            with disabilities have access – on an equal footing
their situation. Accessibility is one of the pillars of    with other people – to the physical environment,
the European Union’s disability policy. Action is          transportation, information, communication tech-
being undertaken in the areas of the built envi-           nologies and to other facilities and services. It is
ronment, transport, services, information and              a pre-condition for participation in society and in
communication, including new technologies                  the economy. However, there is still a long way to
(ICT) and the internet.                                    go before we fully achieve our goal.

In line with the obligations of the United Nations         I am delighted to introduce this booklet with
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disa-             the results of the first Access • City Award which
bilities, the European Union aims to create a barrier-     recognises cities for their efforts to remove bar-
free Europe during the course of this decade. The          riers in the urban environment. It presents some
European Disability Strategy 2010-2020, which              interesting examples and inspiration for many
the Commission adopted in November 2010, is                more European cities wishing to provide a living
an action programme.                                       and working environment without barriers for
                                                           everybody.
The Strategy outlines how the European Union
and national governments can empower people
with disabilities, so that they can enjoy their rights                                       By Viviane Reding,
as everybody else does. When mentioning peo-                        Vice-President of the European Commission
ple with disabilities, this does not only mean                                         Commissioner for Justice,
those who face obvious difficulties today, but also                        Fundamental Rights and Citizenship
AC C E SS • C I T Y AWA R D | T H E E U R O P E A N AWA R D F O R A CC E S S I B L E C I T I E S




                                                                                                                                   Accessible low platform bus



                    The Access • City Award initiative: goals and actions
4
                    The Access • City Award is an innovative compe-                                    for all. By means of a friendly competition, cities
                    tition between European cities, launched in 2010                                   across the European Union are invited to become
                    to promote accessibility in the urban environ-                                     role models for one another and be inspired to
                    ment for people with disabilities.                                                 take on more accessibility initiatives.

                    It is about ensuring equal access to city life for                                 Accessibility is a cornerstone of inclusion
                    people with disabilities.
                                                                                                       For a society based on equal rights, a barrier-free
                    The Award is given to the city that has demon-                                     environment is a key to providing its citizens with
                    strably and sustainably improved accessibility in                                  autonomy, freedom of choice and the means to
                    fundamental aspects of city living, and that has                                   pursue an active social and economic life. For peo-
                    concrete plans for further improvements. The                                       ple with disabilities, elderly people, and those with
                    Award covers actions in the areas of:                                              reduced mobility or other types of temporary
                                                                                                       impairments, environmental barriers result in a high
                    • the built environment and public spaces;                                         risk of marginalization, exclusion and discrimination.
                    • transport and related infrastructures;
                    • information and communication, including                                         Accessibility is therefore essential for them to
                      Information and Communication Technologies                                       exercise their fundamental rights and to fully par-
                      (ICTs); and                                                                      ticipate in society. The right to education or to
                    • public facilities and services.                                                  engage in work, voting rights, access to docu-
                                                                                                       ments, freedom of movement, access to leisure
                    The Access • City Award aims to encourage cities                                   and cultural facilities such as libraries, theatres,
                    to inspire one another to innovate and to share                                    hotels and restaurants, etc., can only be enjoyed
                    good practices. Many solutions for improving                                       by people with disabilities if their environment –
                    accessibility can be seen in those forward-thinking                                with its buildings and public spaces, transport
                    cities that demonstrate commitment and innova-                                     services and infrastructure, information services
                    tion in making the urban environment accessible                                    and related technology – is accessible to them.
M A K I N G E U R O P E ’ S U R B A N E N V I R O N M E N T A CC E S S I B L E F O R A L L




In a society where many aspects of daily life depend       The selection procedure
increasingly on technology-based products and
services, ranging from emails and the Internet to          All EU cities of over 50 000 inhabitants can be can-
digital television and e-Government, new technol-          didates for the Award. Their applications are first
ogies can open up real opportunities for integra-          screened by a national jury in their Member State.
tion and empowerment. These technologies,                  National juries are composed of representatives of
however, can also – if accessibility is not ensured        national Disability Councils, national authorities
– cause even further isolation.                            and accessibility experts. In a first round they select
                                                           up to three candidates to go forward to the Euro-
Making the most of our cities                              pean Jury and to compete at European level with
                                                           entries from other EU Member States.
With four out of five Europeans living in towns
and cities, Europe is now an essentially urban             From the national nominees, the European Jury
society and many of the accessibility challenges           draws up a shortlist of four finalists from which
are to be found in urban areas. People with dis-           the winner is chosen.
abilities represent approximately 16 % of Europe’s
working age population and this percentage                 Successful applicants should have demonstrably
increases after retirement age – some 70 % of              improved accessibility in fundamental aspects of
them are 60 years or older. European cities are            city living, and have adopted a global approach
now host to a steadily ageing population and, as           across the following key areas: the built environ-
a consequence, to a growing number of people               ment and public spaces; transport and related
who have difficulties moving around in the urban           infrastructures; information and communication,
environment and making full use of the services            including Information and Communication Tech-
and facilities others take for granted.                    nologies (ICTs); public facilities and services.

Accessibility is therefore becoming increasingly           The actions/initiatives implemented or planned                                                       5
important for the social and economic sustain-             should be integrated in a global strategy or policy
ability of our society. Our cities need to provide         framework, rather than being just ad hoc projects.
inclusive environments that enable all citizens to
enjoy full participation and to live independently.        Cities should be committed to continued improve-
Inclusion also generates important social and              ments in accessibility in a sustainable way and with
economic benefits for society as a whole.                  an adequate allocation of resources. The quality
                                                           and sustainability of the results should be regularly
Furthermore, improved accessibility makes the              checked and monitored with adequate proce-
urban environment more liveable and enhances               dures for compliance with the city’s regulations,
the quality of life for everybody at all levels of abil-   notifying and repairing problems, and handling
ity and mobility, leading to durable benefits for          complaints.
the cities themselves.
                                                           Applications are also expected to demonstrate
Local authorities play an important role in improv-        the active involvement of people with disabilities,
ing the living conditions of people in urban areas.        their representative organisations, and accessibil-
The Access • City Award competition sets out to            ity experts in the planning, implementation and
showcase and reward a city’s willingness, capabil-         maintenance of a city’s accessibility policies and
ity and efforts to ensure accessibility in order to        initiatives.
guarantee equal access to fundamental rights, to
improve the quality of life of its population and to       Through good examples, cities across the Euro-
ensure that everybody – regardless of age, mobil-          pean Union can become role models for one
ity or ability – has equal access to all the resources     another and stimulate a positive expansion of
and pleasures that cities have to offer.                   accessibility initiatives.
AC C E SS • C I T Y AWA R D | T H E E U R O P E A N AWA R D F O R A CC E S S I B L E C I T I E S




                                                                                                                    Lucille Werner and representatives for finalist cities,
                                                                                                                                    Turku, Cologne, Barcelona and Ávila



                    Inaugural Award: Access • City 2011
6
                    In the inaugural edition of the Award launched in                                  The other three finalists have similarly developed
                    2010, some 66 European cities from 19 EU Mem-                                      comprehensive plans to address accessibility in
                    ber States put themselves forward as candidates.                                   the competition’s four areas.
                    The winner was selected by a European Jury
                    chaired by Paralympic champion Mark Ecclestone,                                    The Award ceremony
                    supported by a team of specialists in the main of
                    accessibility areas.                                                               The Award ceremony took place in Brussels on
                                                                                                       2nd December 2010 within the context of the
                    The four finalists for the first edition of the                                    European Day of People with Disabilities Confer-
                    Access • City Award were Ávila (Spain), Barcelona                                  ence, held in the presence of Her Royal Highness
                    (Spain), Cologne (Germany) and Turku (Finland).                                    Princess Astrid of Belgium, Viviane Reding, Vice-
                                                                                                       President of the European Commission, Jean-
                    Ávila was selected as the winner on account of                                     Marc Delizée, Belgian Secretary of State for Social
                    its comprehensive plan, the high level of political                                Affairs, and Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the
                    commitment, the progress achieved so far, and                                      European Disability Forum.
                    the effective involvement of people with disabil-
                    ities in the process.                                                              The ceremony was moderated by the well-
                                                                                                       known Dutch presenter, Lucille Werner, who in
                    It is a medieval city with a challenging environ-                                  past five years has designed and hosted success-
                    ment where accessibility has become a core                                         ful television formats about people with disabili-
                    issue running through all municipal policies                                       ties demonstrating their skills and talents. With
                    and applied to all spheres of society including                                    her entertainment shows, Lucille Werner has con-
                    town planning, building, communication and                                         tributed to give a new dimension to the image
                    transport.                                                                         of people with disabilities in Holland.
M A K I N G E U R O P E ’ S U R B A N E N V I R O N M E N T A CC E S S I B L E F O R A L L




European Jury

The European Jury for the inaugural edition of the
Access • City Award was composed of:

• Chairman: Mark Eccleston, Silver Medallist at
  the 2004 Athens Paralympics in wheelchair
  tennis and member of the first Great Britain
  team to win the World Team Cup (the Davis
  Cup of wheelchair tennis). Mark is also a moti-
  vational speaker and consultant.

• Inmaculada Placencia-Porrero, Deputy Head of
  the Unit ‘Rights of People with Disabilities’ of
  the European Commission, DG Justice.
                                                                    Yannis Vardakastanis, President
• Silvio Sagramola, European Disability Forum                            European Disability Forum
  representative, Director of Info-Handicap and
  EuCAN project coordinator.
                                                            Regular annual event
• Ann Frye, International specialist on the trans-
  port needs of disabled and older people.                  Following the success of the first edition of the
                                                            Access • City Award, it is becoming a regular
• Monika Klenovec, Architect, accessibility con-            annual competition to encourage progress
  sultant and business coach.                               towards making our cities more accessible for all.
                                                                                                                                                                 7
• Jesus Hernandez, Accessibility director at the            Please visit
  ONCE Foundation.                                          http://accesscityaward.eu/ and
                                                            http://ec.europa.eu/justice/
• Klaus Miesenberger, Researcher and teacher of             for updated information on the Access • City
  practical IT support for the integration of peo-          Award, the application procedure, the detailed
  ple with disabilities.                                    selection criteria and the key dates of the compe-
                                                            tition.




              Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium with
       Commissioner Viviane Reding handing price to winner Ávila
AC C E SS • C I T Y AWA R D | T H E E U R O P E A N AWA R D F O R A CC E S S I B L E C I T I E S




                                                                                                                               ‘A medieval city where removing
                                                                                                                                  obstacles is obviously difficult’
                                                                                                                                                   European Jury



                    Ávila, Spain
8
                    Leading Europe in accessibility
                    Ávila in central Spain is a medieval city of 60 000                                Careful planning and solid analysis have been the
                    inhabitants which, in 2002, drew up a ‘Special                                     foundation and starting point of the city’s initiatives,
                    Action Plan for Accessibility in Ávila’, following to                              which have focused on new technologies as an
                    which the City Council has transformed the old                                     instrument towards modernisation and integration.
                    city, including its medieval walls, to make it acces-
                    sible for people with disabilities.                                                At the practical level, improvements to accessibil-
                                                                                                       ity have been made in all the municipal facilities,
                    For the City Council, accessibility has become                                     as well in other privately owned historical build-
                    a core issue running through all municipal policies                                ings, principally through the removal of barriers
                    and is applied to all spheres of society including                                 and the addition of technical aids.
                    town planning, building, communication and
                    transport.                                                                         In the area of transportation, the city’s railway sta-
                                                                                                       tion has been adapted to the needs of people with
                    In its approach it has involved local groups in the                                disabilities and work is underway on a new bus
                    design of a city for all, and has encouraged the                                   station which will meet the requirements of uni-
                    mainstreaming of people with disabilities through                                  versal access. An accessible taxi service is also
                    access to employment, culture and leisure.                                         being extended across the city.

                    New technology                                                                     Anti-discrimination

                    One of the overriding strategic motivations of the                                 The Ávila City Council has implemented measures
                    city planners has been to promote Ávila as an exam-                                to guarantee the right to equal opportunities, avoid-
                    ple of a city for all, and to make it widely known as                              ing discrimination and adopting positive measures
                    an accessible tourist destination.                                                 to remove the disadvantages which people with
                                                                                                       disabilities are confronted with when participating
                                                                                                       in social, cultural, financial and political life.
M A K I N G E U R O P E ’ S U R B A N E N V I R O N M E N T A CC E S S I B L E F O R A L L




With this objective in mind, the city’s Accessibility     Practical implementation
Department was set up in 2007, building on the
political willingness and the recognition of the          The city’s Accessibility Department helps to bring
need to coordinate all actions concerning this            political commitment and practical expertise
issue in the municipal sphere.                            together. It has prioritised accessible public trans-
                                                          port and personal mobility. For example, in addition
The Accessibility Department became the Munic-            to accessible vehicles and infrastructure, the city has
ipal Office for Accessibility, with the job of focus-     also guaranteed the continuation of an accessible
ing on the needs of business owners and private           taxi service by issuing a free licence for it.
individuals. It produces analyses and technical
reports relating to the level of accessibility of the     The European judges were impressed by the strong
city’s various establishments.                            evidence of engagement with people with disabil-
                                                          ities at both local and national levels, for instance in
Reflecting the importance the City Council gives          the design of the ‘city for all programme’.
to participation, consultation and evaluation, it has
established the Municipal Council for the Disabled,       Active public support for the employment of peo-
where all the Ávila associations for people with dis-     ple with disabilities has been demonstrated by the
abilities are represented.                                award of grants for dedicated programmes.

The city’s Department of Accessible and Social            The work of disability organisations themselves
Tourism, which was set up in 2007, is working to          has also been supported through grants and the
turn the city of Ávila into an accessible place for       assignment of facilities.
visitors. Its actions help promote, for example, the
provision of restaurant menus in Braille, the loan        ‘Our motivation to take part in the competition
of wheelchairs, the organisation of guided visits         was to show the solutions that Ávila had found to
for the disabled, and accessible points for tourist       improve accessibility and to give visibility of the                                                  9
information.                                              work that it had done in this field. All the projects
                                                          we develop are based on a mainstreaming ap-
Ávila presides over and holds the position of Sec-        proach, and the actions that are launched by dif-
retary of the Accessibility Commission of the World       ferent municipal departments (social services,
Heritage Cities Group in Spain, which was created         tourism, heritage, urban, youth) are projected
on 25 February 2008 in Ávila, at the behest of the        from the viewpoint of universal design,’ said Noe-
city’s Mayor.                                             lia Cuenca, Ávila’s representative for accessibility.
                                                          ‘This project symbolises the unity of all people
Challenges                                                and shows that with creativity, it is possible to
                                                          allow all people to benefit from the goods and
As an historic city in a mountainous region, Ávila        services of a city.’
has had to overcome particular cultural and geo-
graphical challenges to achieve good levels of            The city is particularly proud of the adaptation of
accessibility. In spite of the difficulties, the City     parts of the city wall to make it accessible to all
Council has set a clear and comprehensive long-           persons.
term policy for improving accessibility which is
focused on both residents and visitors and encom-         Accessibility on the web:
passes cultural events, guided tours, restaurants         http://www.avila.es/opencms/opencms/
and tourist information.                                  AVIL/index.html
                                                          http://www.avila.es/opencms/opencms/AVIL/
The city of Ávila was a pioneer in introducing the        paginas/MENU/ORGA/SSSSAC/ACCE/ACCE.html
analysis and diagnosis of accessibility in artistic and
monumental heritage. This led to a series of recom-       Contact for more information:
mendations which helped guide city proprietors            accesibilidad@ayuntavila.com
through the different stages of the adaptation of
their buildings. Ávila’s most recent refurbishment of
the ancient city walls included points of access for
people with reduced mobility.
AC C E SS • C I T Y AWA R D | T H E E U R O P E A N AWA R D F O R A CC E S S I B L E C I T I E S




                                                                                                                                                European cities are engaging
                                                                                                                                                    in accessibility measures



                     Three highly commended runners-up
10
                     Barcelona, Spain – a pioneer in urban accessibility
                     Barcelona, on the north east coast of Spain, is the                                Coordinating with disabilities groups
                     country’s second largest city (population 1.5 mil-
                     lion). For more than 30 years it has been actively                                 In the late 1970s, the City Council created the
                     engaged in implementing accessibility, beginning                                   Municipal Institute for People with Disabilities (IMD).
                     back in 1978 with its Plan for Autonomous Mobility.                                Its role is to keep the City Council and its various
                                                                                                        departments (especially urban planning, transport
                     It has progressively implemented a ‘design for all’                                and communication) in sync with the associations
                     approach, with a strong focus on the built envi-                                   of people with disabilities. The overriding aim is to
                     ronment and transport facilities.                                                  work together to ensure that accessibility, equal
                                                                                                        opportunities and the integration of people with
                     The Olympic Games in 1992 were an important                                        disabilities are part of the political agenda.
                     opportunity for the authorities to improve the
                     physical accessibility of the city and to make it                                  The IMD has a unique organisational structure with
                     barrier free.                                                                      an Executive Committee made up of 20 members:
                                                                                                        10 representatives of the City Council and 10 rep-
                     These principles were applied to the preparations                                  resentatives of people with disabilities.
                     for the Olympic Games themselves when, for the
                     first time in history, the Olympic and Paralympic                                  Since 1979 the city has carried out a variety of
                     games shared the same facilities, housing and areas.                               projects ranging from improvements in housing,
                                                                                                        integration of people with disabilities in the labour
                     Since then the city has striven to make it possible                                market, inclusion of people with disabilities in civic
                     for everybody to enjoy an independent lifestyle                                    activities, among others.
                     by focusing extensively on accessibility, commu-
                     nications, inclusive education, the labour market,                                 The Access • City Award Judges put particular
                     social services, and personalised systems.                                         emphasis on Barcelona’s strong and long-standing
M A K I N G E U R O P E ’ S U R B A N E N V I R O N M E N T A CC E S S I B L E F O R A L L




commitment to accessibility following the princi-       local authorities with the social movements of
ples of universal design, and the involvement of        people with disabilities,’ said a city spokesperson.
people with disabilities at all stages of the design
and delivery of accessibility improvements.             Accessibility on the web:
                                                        http://www.bcn.cat/en/ihome.htm
‘Following the extensive work we undertook for          http://w3.bcn.cat/accessible/0,4022,290652867_
the Olympic games in 1992, we have worked very          291374213_3,00.html
hard on accessibility communication, inclusive
education, better social services, giving people        Contact for more information:
the right to choose and to personalise the sys-         imd_informacio@bcn.cat
tems. Importantly we have brought together the



Cologne, Germany – creating a ‘city for all’
Cologne, in Germany, is a city of nearly one million    The European Award Jury especially praised the
inhabitants. It has shown a strong political com-       city’s systematic approach towards accessibility,
mitment to improving accessibility since 2004,          based on the thorough application of consistent
involving a wide range of city departments with         standards.
clear responsibilities and extensive coordination.
Special training programmes for designers, as well      An ambitious plan over the next 2-3 years further
as other professionals employed by the city such        illustrates the city’s commitment to accessibility.
as building supervision employees, have been            Measures encompass the development of stand-
introduced to improve their understanding of            ards, in particular a design handbook for accessible
accessibility.                                          buildings and construction, and a design handbook                                                    11
                                                        for the city centre. The programme also includes the
The City of Cologne is currently implementing           establishment of a new Centre for Accessible Build-
a global disability strategy, entitled ‘Cologne over-   ings and the expansion of further education on
comes barriers – a city for all’. Its main goals are:   accessibility issues in order to develop personal
tackling issues such as accessibility, equitable par-   resources. Work will also be continued in the areas
ticipation, encouragement of free decisions, and the    of inclusive schools and youth work.
human right of self-determination. The strategy
encompasses 170 goals and measures for the city’s       ‘We still have a lot to do on the way towards
12 municipal districts with clear plans and commit-     accessibility and inclusion,’ said the city’s repre-
ments for the monitoring of their implementation.       sentative for accessibility, Marita Reinecke. ‘The
                                                        EU’s Access • City Award has been a wonderful
Since 2004, the city has operated an 80-strong          opportunity to give these topics centre-stage and
internal working committee on ‘Disability Policy’,      ensure extended visibility across our districts as
bringing together 32 municipal departments and          a sign of quality. In Cologne we are very proud to
all relevant civil society groups. The committee        have been a finalist in the first Award. We see this
decides on all relevant issues relating to disabil-     Award especially as an incentive not to relax our
ity and gives recommendations to administrative         efforts and continue to work towards implement-
bodies and policy-makers. Representatives of            ing our ambitious action plan for those with disa-
disability organisations are also to be found on        bilities in Cologne.’
11 committees of the City Council.
                                                        Accessibility on the web:
The city’s accessibility programme extends to           http://www.stadt-koeln.de/
public spaces, streets, parks, playgrounds, etc. The    http://www.stadt-koeln.de/2/menschen-
transport infrastructure is being progressively         mit-behinderung/
adapted in consultation with user groups to ret-
rofit bus stops and railway stations. Municipal and     Contact for more information:
cultural buildings are also being refurbished to        marita.reinecke@stadt-koeln.de
meet agreed accessibility criteria.
AC C E SS • C I T Y AWA R D | T H E E U R O P E A N AWA R D F O R A CC E S S I B L E C I T I E S




                     Turku, Finland – accessibility even
                     in challenging weather conditions
                     Turku is a historic city on the south-west coast of                                ‘mission impossible’, given the nature of the old
                     Finland. With a current population of 180 000,                                     town and its buildings. The city authorities have
                     Turku is a notable commercial and passenger sea-                                   succeeded, however, in developing with the
                     port, as well as being a regional capital.                                         close involvement of people with disabilities an
                                                                                                        effective strategy for a small historical city such
                     The city has been active in the field of accessibil-                               as Turku confronted with challenging conditions
                     ity since the 1980s and has a coherent on-going                                    for accessibility, particularly in the built environ-
                     plan for further improvements. The accessibility                                   ment. There are even plans for the city’s Castle to
                     initiatives encompass public transport, the built                                  be made more accessible.
                     environment, personal mobility and cultural and
                     historic venues.                                                                   All bus routes in the city centre are served by
                                                                                                        accessible low-floor buses. Some routes stop near
                     The city is in the process of implementing the                                     the homes for the elderly on their way to and
                     Accessibility Programme of Turku 2005-2012, which                                  from the city centre. School transportation for
                     demands that all the schemes and plans in the city                                 children with disabilities is provided by so-called
                     take the issue of accessibility into consideration.                                ‘inva taxis’ – special taxis boasting a lift and com-
                                                                                                        petent personnel to assist passengers.
                     The aim of the Programme is to make Turku a sig-
                     nificantly more accessible city by 2012, through                                   Accessible beach
                     its administration, mapping, development and
                     renovations as well as construction work.                                          Turku is proud of its accessibility ‘innovation’ in
12                                                                                                      creating the Ekvalla Accessible Beach. The beach
                     Ancient buildings and harsh weather                                                has been praised for its accessibility for people
                                                                                                        with reduced mobility, visual and hearing impair-
                     Turku is a former capital of Finland which has                                     ments. Among other features on the beach, is
                     risen to the challenge of achieving accessibility                                  a concrete ramp which runs right down to the
                     without compromising its heritage.                                                 seashore and three different sound signals in dif-
                                                                                                        ferent places for the visually impaired.
                     Transforming the 781 year old city to better serve
                     people with disabilities was initially regarded as                                 ‘So far, our main focus has been placed on the
                                                                                                        accessibility of pathways, buildings and services.
                                                                                                        Perhaps it is now time to put more focus on the
                                                                                                        development of aid instruments that people with
                                                                                                        disabilities need in their lives,’ said Heikki O. Hau-
                                                                                                        listo, Architect, Accessibility Representative of
                                                                                                        Turku City. ‘The Access • City Award proves that
                                                                                                        accessibility is considered fundamental in the
                                                                                                        goals shared by Europeans.’

                                                                                                        Accessibility on the web:
                                                                                                        http://www.turku.fi/Public/default.
                                                                                                        aspx?culture=en-US&contentlan=2&nodeid=23
                                                                                                        http://www.turku.fi/Public/default.
                                                                                                        aspx?contentid=52354

                                                                                                        Contact for more information:
                                                                                                        heikki.haulisto@turku.fi


                                              Part of the accessible beach of Turku
M A K I N G E U R O P E ’ S U R B A N E N V I R O N M E N T A CC E S S I B L E F O R A L L




Accessible parking places



        Good practice across Europe
                                                                                                                                                                     13
        Some 30 European cities were nominated by               On the basis of the European Jury’s assessment,
        the national juries to be chosen as the EU’s first      the four examples below were identified to
        Access • City Award winner. The European Jury           illustrate the good work done in each of the four
        established that ‘Every city nominated has given        thematic areas of the competition. These cities
        good examples for Europe’.                              are from different geographical areas and have
                                                                different cultural and historical backgrounds
                                                                reflected in their characteristics.



        Barnsley, UK – extending the range of city services
        Barnsley is a metropolitan borough (population          The Council believes that access to goods, serv-
        226 000) in the Yorkshire and Humber region of          ices and facilities is important to all people with
        England which particularly impressed the judges         disabilities if they are to enjoy independence,
        for its initiatives in the area of services to people   choice and equality. The borough has therefore
        with disabilities.                                      been implementing a three year plan (ending
                                                                March 2012) to provide a range of services to
        The borough is unique in the UK context in that         people with disabilities that are located in places
        it has a much higher incidence of disability than       that are easy to get to.
        the national average. One quarter of the popula-
        tion of Barnsley is disabled, with 13 % of the work-    Involving people with disabilities
        ing age population claiming incapacity benefit
        or severe disablement allowance, compared to            The ‘Remaking Barnsley’ initiative, a comprehen-
        an average 7 % in England.                              sive programme for the transformation of the
                                                                urban centre adopted in 2009, involves local peo-
                                                                ple with disabilities at all stages in the design and
AC C E SS • C I T Y AWA R D | T H E E U R O P E A N AWA R D F O R A CC E S S I B L E C I T I E S




                     development of new buildings and public spaces                                     public spaces. This provides even greater oppor-
                     to ensure the highest possible standards of                                        tunities to achieve Barnsley’s long-term ambition
                     accessibility.                                                                     to become ‘the most accessible market town
                                                                                                        in Britain’.
                     The process has already delivered the new transport
                     Interchange – formerly Barnsley Exchange Station                                   Accessibility on the web:
                     – a fully enclosed passenger environment that has                                  http://www.barnsley.gov.uk/online
                     greatly improved access for disabled people.                                       http://www.barnsley.gov.uk/accessibility-preamble

                     The next phase of Remaking Barnsley covers the                                     Contact for more information:
                     rebuilding of large parts of the town centre and                                   julianhorsler@barnsley.gov.uk




                     Dublin, Ireland – intelligent use of ICT
                     Dublin City Council is currently putting into effect                               The key to the successful implementation of the
                     a 2005-2015 Accessibility Implementation Plan                                      city’s Plan is the integration of ongoing initiatives
                     (AIP) for its 500 000-strong population.                                           with other service providers, particularly in the
                                                                                                        area of transport, tourism and employment.
                     The Plan makes great use of ICTs (information and
                     communications technologies) to improve facil-                                     Other city initiatives include Braille and tactile sig-
                     ities and services for people with disabilities.                                   nage; and library services, including eBooks, iBooks,
                                                                                                        Audio Books, home delivery, and Internet access.
14                   A significant feature of the Plan is the city’s dedi-
                     cated website: www.accessdublin.ie aims to                                         In the area of public transportation, 2 600 bus
                     provide people with disabilities with relevant                                     stops now offer real-time information and audible
                     information on access to the built environment,                                    messages when entering the bus stop number in
                     and gives them the opportunity to participate in                                   a mobile phone. Bus stops offer a large print font
                     decision-making through online consultation.                                       and Braille to help identify the stop number.

                     The website hosts an ‘Access Business Directory’                                   Accessibility on the web:
                     providing information about the level of access                                    http://www.dublincity.ie/Pages/welcome/
                     in over 1 000 venues, permitting users to choose                                   mainpage.htm
                     before leaving their homes which facilities and                                    http://www.dublincity.ie/AccessibilityForum/
                     services best suit their needs. It also identifies                                 default.aspx?g=landing
                     accessible car parking spaces in Dublin and
                     includes an online discussion forum, where peo-                                    Contact for more information:
                     ple with disabilities can consult directly with the                                tom.johnson@dublincity.ie
                     Local Authority.




                     Grenoble, France – an investment in transport infrastructure
                     Grenoble in south-eastern France at the foot of the                                since the 1970s it has been a pioneer in the area
                     Alps has a population of some 157 000 located on                                   of transportation accessibility.
                     a land area of just 1 900 hectares, making it one of
                     the most densely-populated areas of the country.                                   All of the tramway network (light rail) and 80 % of
                                                                                                        buses are now accessible to people with disabili-
                     Since 1995, the city has been implementing                                         ties and others with reduced mobility. The city is
                     a policy to make the city accessible for all. Indeed,                              currently introducing its second generation of
M A K I N G E U R O P E ’ S U R B A N E N V I R O N M E N T A CC E S S I B L E F O R A L L




accessible tramway network, boasting raised plat-      Its programme has already made the town cen-
forms and automatic doors.                             tre 80 % accessible. Some 62 % of pavements are
                                                       accessible, with the city having removed awk-
By 2012 it expects to be the first municipality in     ward steps on junctions and pedestrian crossings
France to offer a fully accessible public transport    and having added audible signals at traffic lights.
network which has been adjusted for all types of       In addition, 40 % of public buildings are now
impairments (visual, hearing, physical, mental,        accessible, with audio facilities provided at the
etc.). The aim is to allow all people to be mobile     Grenoble museum. Special facilities now make
within the Grenoble agglomeration.                     some 40 % of the famous Bastille site accessible
                                                       to those with disabilities.
Facilities are also being improved and adapted
for tourists with disabilities. Ski lifts have been    Accessibility on the web:
adapted to provide higher capacity with two-seat       http://www.grenoble.fr/
lifts carrying 1 000 kg instead of 630 kg, which are   http://www.grenoble.fr/141-handicap-et-
interspersed to permit mixed usage.                    accessibilite.htm

                                                       Contact for more information:
                                                       herve.buissier@ville-grenoble.fr



Malmö, Sweden – adapting the built
environment for the future
The city of Malmö in southern Sweden (popula-          not only on crossings but also when accessing pub-                                                   15
tion 300 000) has since 2008 been implementing         lic transport. In 2010 the city also inaugurated a golf
an Accessibility Programme heavily focused on          course providing total access.
improving the built environment – in particular
streets and parks – for people with disabilities.      Most of the city’s 1 100 bus stops have been mod-
                                                       ified with seating areas and protection for people
The city’s objective is that all public spaces, new    with disabilities. All leisure facilities, cultural build-
and old, should have an integrated access plan         ings, and the city’s 10 libraries have been inspected
allowing for everyone to have an equal access          and adjusted for people with hearing, visual or
and use of the public space. This is linked to all     other physical disabilities. In addition, all schools,
renovation work or construction of new spaces          from pre-schools to high schools, are currently
and buildings.                                         being inspected.

The work includes elevators in buildings, entrances    The city has published an accessibility guide that
to buildings, and indicators on pavements, for peo-    gives an easy overview to access in public build-
ple with visual impairments. Pavements will have       ings, culture, hotels, restaurants, banks, leisure, as
walking direction indicators to make it easier to      well as healthcare and medical facilities.
follow the right path, while buildings will have
indicators for access regardless of disability type.   Accessibility on the web:
Parking places are allocated and specifically          http://www.malmo.se/
designed in the city. Street crossings will have
sound and light indicators to assist disabled people   Contact for more information:
when crossing. Pavements are all being lowered,        katarina.lindberg@malmo.se




For more information on the Access • City Award and application guidelines for the annual competition,
please visit http://accesscityaward.eu/
European Commission
ACCESS•CITY The European Award for Accessible Cities
Making Europe’s urban environment accessible for all
Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union
2011 — 16 pp. — 25.0 × 17.6 cm
ISBN 978-92-79-19711-6
doi:10.2838/34235




                      HOW TO OBTAIN EU PUBLICATIONS
  Free publications:
  • via EU Bookshop (http://bookshop.europa.eu);
  • at the European Commission’s representations or delegations.
    You can obtain their contact details on the Internet (http://ec.europa.eu)
    or by sending a fax to +352 2929-42758.
  Priced publications:
  • via EU Bookshop (http://bookshop.europa.eu);
  Priced subscriptions (e.g. annual series of the Official Journal of the European
  Union and reports of cases before the Court of Justice of the European Union):
  • via one of the sales agents of the Publications Office of the European Union
    (http://publications.europa.eu/others/agents/index_en.htm).
DS-32-11-693-EN-C
        T H E A C C E S S • C I T Y AWA R D
          is an annual competition for European cities,
organised by the European Commission to promote accessibility
     in the urban environment for people with disabilities.

             For updated information please visit
                 http://accesscityaward.eu/

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Access city practise guide_en

  • 1. A C C E S S •C I T Y THE EUROPEAN AWARD FOR ACCESSIBLE CITIES MAKING EUROPE’S URBAN ENVIRONMENT ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL
  • 2. Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union. Freephone number (*): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (*) Certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to 00 800 numbers or these calls may be billed. More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu). Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2011 ISBN 978-92-79-19711-6 doi:10.2838/34235 Pictures: © European Commission © European Union, 2011 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. Printed in Belgium PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER
  • 3. M A K I N G E U R O P E ’ S U R B A N E N V I R O N M E N T A CC E S S I B L E F O R A L L Table of contents Foreword 3 The Access • City Award initiative: goals and actions 4 Inaugural Award: Access • City 2011 6 Ávila, Spain – leading Europe in accessibility 8 Three highly commended runners-up 10 Barcelona, Spain – a pioneer in urban accessibility 10 Cologne, Germany – creating a ‘city for all’ 11 Turku, Finland – accessibility even in challenging weather conditions 12 Good practice across Europe 13 Barnsley, UK – extending the range of city services 13 Dublin, Ireland – intelligent use of ICT 14 Grenoble, France – an investment in transport infrastructure 14 Malmö, Sweden – adapting the built environment for the future 15
  • 4. M A K I N G E U R O P E ’ S U R B A N E N V I R O N M E N T A CC E S S I B L E F O R A L L Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium and Commissioner Viviane Reding at the award ceremony FOREWORD 3 Most people take it for granted that they can hop the increasing numbers of ageing citizens living in on a bus to go shopping, surf the internet or our cities that also have to cope with numerous enjoy a TV series. For 80 million Europeans with barriers in the urban environment. a disability, there may be numerous obstacles that put these activities out of their reach. Accessibility is at the core of the European Disa- bility Strategy 2010-2020 and it means that people The European Union wants to drastically improve with disabilities have access – on an equal footing their situation. Accessibility is one of the pillars of with other people – to the physical environment, the European Union’s disability policy. Action is transportation, information, communication tech- being undertaken in the areas of the built envi- nologies and to other facilities and services. It is ronment, transport, services, information and a pre-condition for participation in society and in communication, including new technologies the economy. However, there is still a long way to (ICT) and the internet. go before we fully achieve our goal. In line with the obligations of the United Nations I am delighted to introduce this booklet with Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disa- the results of the first Access • City Award which bilities, the European Union aims to create a barrier- recognises cities for their efforts to remove bar- free Europe during the course of this decade. The riers in the urban environment. It presents some European Disability Strategy 2010-2020, which interesting examples and inspiration for many the Commission adopted in November 2010, is more European cities wishing to provide a living an action programme. and working environment without barriers for everybody. The Strategy outlines how the European Union and national governments can empower people with disabilities, so that they can enjoy their rights By Viviane Reding, as everybody else does. When mentioning peo- Vice-President of the European Commission ple with disabilities, this does not only mean Commissioner for Justice, those who face obvious difficulties today, but also Fundamental Rights and Citizenship
  • 5. AC C E SS • C I T Y AWA R D | T H E E U R O P E A N AWA R D F O R A CC E S S I B L E C I T I E S Accessible low platform bus The Access • City Award initiative: goals and actions 4 The Access • City Award is an innovative compe- for all. By means of a friendly competition, cities tition between European cities, launched in 2010 across the European Union are invited to become to promote accessibility in the urban environ- role models for one another and be inspired to ment for people with disabilities. take on more accessibility initiatives. It is about ensuring equal access to city life for Accessibility is a cornerstone of inclusion people with disabilities. For a society based on equal rights, a barrier-free The Award is given to the city that has demon- environment is a key to providing its citizens with strably and sustainably improved accessibility in autonomy, freedom of choice and the means to fundamental aspects of city living, and that has pursue an active social and economic life. For peo- concrete plans for further improvements. The ple with disabilities, elderly people, and those with Award covers actions in the areas of: reduced mobility or other types of temporary impairments, environmental barriers result in a high • the built environment and public spaces; risk of marginalization, exclusion and discrimination. • transport and related infrastructures; • information and communication, including Accessibility is therefore essential for them to Information and Communication Technologies exercise their fundamental rights and to fully par- (ICTs); and ticipate in society. The right to education or to • public facilities and services. engage in work, voting rights, access to docu- ments, freedom of movement, access to leisure The Access • City Award aims to encourage cities and cultural facilities such as libraries, theatres, to inspire one another to innovate and to share hotels and restaurants, etc., can only be enjoyed good practices. Many solutions for improving by people with disabilities if their environment – accessibility can be seen in those forward-thinking with its buildings and public spaces, transport cities that demonstrate commitment and innova- services and infrastructure, information services tion in making the urban environment accessible and related technology – is accessible to them.
  • 6. M A K I N G E U R O P E ’ S U R B A N E N V I R O N M E N T A CC E S S I B L E F O R A L L In a society where many aspects of daily life depend The selection procedure increasingly on technology-based products and services, ranging from emails and the Internet to All EU cities of over 50 000 inhabitants can be can- digital television and e-Government, new technol- didates for the Award. Their applications are first ogies can open up real opportunities for integra- screened by a national jury in their Member State. tion and empowerment. These technologies, National juries are composed of representatives of however, can also – if accessibility is not ensured national Disability Councils, national authorities – cause even further isolation. and accessibility experts. In a first round they select up to three candidates to go forward to the Euro- Making the most of our cities pean Jury and to compete at European level with entries from other EU Member States. With four out of five Europeans living in towns and cities, Europe is now an essentially urban From the national nominees, the European Jury society and many of the accessibility challenges draws up a shortlist of four finalists from which are to be found in urban areas. People with dis- the winner is chosen. abilities represent approximately 16 % of Europe’s working age population and this percentage Successful applicants should have demonstrably increases after retirement age – some 70 % of improved accessibility in fundamental aspects of them are 60 years or older. European cities are city living, and have adopted a global approach now host to a steadily ageing population and, as across the following key areas: the built environ- a consequence, to a growing number of people ment and public spaces; transport and related who have difficulties moving around in the urban infrastructures; information and communication, environment and making full use of the services including Information and Communication Tech- and facilities others take for granted. nologies (ICTs); public facilities and services. Accessibility is therefore becoming increasingly The actions/initiatives implemented or planned 5 important for the social and economic sustain- should be integrated in a global strategy or policy ability of our society. Our cities need to provide framework, rather than being just ad hoc projects. inclusive environments that enable all citizens to enjoy full participation and to live independently. Cities should be committed to continued improve- Inclusion also generates important social and ments in accessibility in a sustainable way and with economic benefits for society as a whole. an adequate allocation of resources. The quality and sustainability of the results should be regularly Furthermore, improved accessibility makes the checked and monitored with adequate proce- urban environment more liveable and enhances dures for compliance with the city’s regulations, the quality of life for everybody at all levels of abil- notifying and repairing problems, and handling ity and mobility, leading to durable benefits for complaints. the cities themselves. Applications are also expected to demonstrate Local authorities play an important role in improv- the active involvement of people with disabilities, ing the living conditions of people in urban areas. their representative organisations, and accessibil- The Access • City Award competition sets out to ity experts in the planning, implementation and showcase and reward a city’s willingness, capabil- maintenance of a city’s accessibility policies and ity and efforts to ensure accessibility in order to initiatives. guarantee equal access to fundamental rights, to improve the quality of life of its population and to Through good examples, cities across the Euro- ensure that everybody – regardless of age, mobil- pean Union can become role models for one ity or ability – has equal access to all the resources another and stimulate a positive expansion of and pleasures that cities have to offer. accessibility initiatives.
  • 7. AC C E SS • C I T Y AWA R D | T H E E U R O P E A N AWA R D F O R A CC E S S I B L E C I T I E S Lucille Werner and representatives for finalist cities, Turku, Cologne, Barcelona and Ávila Inaugural Award: Access • City 2011 6 In the inaugural edition of the Award launched in The other three finalists have similarly developed 2010, some 66 European cities from 19 EU Mem- comprehensive plans to address accessibility in ber States put themselves forward as candidates. the competition’s four areas. The winner was selected by a European Jury chaired by Paralympic champion Mark Ecclestone, The Award ceremony supported by a team of specialists in the main of accessibility areas. The Award ceremony took place in Brussels on 2nd December 2010 within the context of the The four finalists for the first edition of the European Day of People with Disabilities Confer- Access • City Award were Ávila (Spain), Barcelona ence, held in the presence of Her Royal Highness (Spain), Cologne (Germany) and Turku (Finland). Princess Astrid of Belgium, Viviane Reding, Vice- President of the European Commission, Jean- Ávila was selected as the winner on account of Marc Delizée, Belgian Secretary of State for Social its comprehensive plan, the high level of political Affairs, and Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the commitment, the progress achieved so far, and European Disability Forum. the effective involvement of people with disabil- ities in the process. The ceremony was moderated by the well- known Dutch presenter, Lucille Werner, who in It is a medieval city with a challenging environ- past five years has designed and hosted success- ment where accessibility has become a core ful television formats about people with disabili- issue running through all municipal policies ties demonstrating their skills and talents. With and applied to all spheres of society including her entertainment shows, Lucille Werner has con- town planning, building, communication and tributed to give a new dimension to the image transport. of people with disabilities in Holland.
  • 8. M A K I N G E U R O P E ’ S U R B A N E N V I R O N M E N T A CC E S S I B L E F O R A L L European Jury The European Jury for the inaugural edition of the Access • City Award was composed of: • Chairman: Mark Eccleston, Silver Medallist at the 2004 Athens Paralympics in wheelchair tennis and member of the first Great Britain team to win the World Team Cup (the Davis Cup of wheelchair tennis). Mark is also a moti- vational speaker and consultant. • Inmaculada Placencia-Porrero, Deputy Head of the Unit ‘Rights of People with Disabilities’ of the European Commission, DG Justice. Yannis Vardakastanis, President • Silvio Sagramola, European Disability Forum European Disability Forum representative, Director of Info-Handicap and EuCAN project coordinator. Regular annual event • Ann Frye, International specialist on the trans- port needs of disabled and older people. Following the success of the first edition of the Access • City Award, it is becoming a regular • Monika Klenovec, Architect, accessibility con- annual competition to encourage progress sultant and business coach. towards making our cities more accessible for all. 7 • Jesus Hernandez, Accessibility director at the Please visit ONCE Foundation. http://accesscityaward.eu/ and http://ec.europa.eu/justice/ • Klaus Miesenberger, Researcher and teacher of for updated information on the Access • City practical IT support for the integration of peo- Award, the application procedure, the detailed ple with disabilities. selection criteria and the key dates of the compe- tition. Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium with Commissioner Viviane Reding handing price to winner Ávila
  • 9. AC C E SS • C I T Y AWA R D | T H E E U R O P E A N AWA R D F O R A CC E S S I B L E C I T I E S ‘A medieval city where removing obstacles is obviously difficult’ European Jury Ávila, Spain 8 Leading Europe in accessibility Ávila in central Spain is a medieval city of 60 000 Careful planning and solid analysis have been the inhabitants which, in 2002, drew up a ‘Special foundation and starting point of the city’s initiatives, Action Plan for Accessibility in Ávila’, following to which have focused on new technologies as an which the City Council has transformed the old instrument towards modernisation and integration. city, including its medieval walls, to make it acces- sible for people with disabilities. At the practical level, improvements to accessibil- ity have been made in all the municipal facilities, For the City Council, accessibility has become as well in other privately owned historical build- a core issue running through all municipal policies ings, principally through the removal of barriers and is applied to all spheres of society including and the addition of technical aids. town planning, building, communication and transport. In the area of transportation, the city’s railway sta- tion has been adapted to the needs of people with In its approach it has involved local groups in the disabilities and work is underway on a new bus design of a city for all, and has encouraged the station which will meet the requirements of uni- mainstreaming of people with disabilities through versal access. An accessible taxi service is also access to employment, culture and leisure. being extended across the city. New technology Anti-discrimination One of the overriding strategic motivations of the The Ávila City Council has implemented measures city planners has been to promote Ávila as an exam- to guarantee the right to equal opportunities, avoid- ple of a city for all, and to make it widely known as ing discrimination and adopting positive measures an accessible tourist destination. to remove the disadvantages which people with disabilities are confronted with when participating in social, cultural, financial and political life.
  • 10. M A K I N G E U R O P E ’ S U R B A N E N V I R O N M E N T A CC E S S I B L E F O R A L L With this objective in mind, the city’s Accessibility Practical implementation Department was set up in 2007, building on the political willingness and the recognition of the The city’s Accessibility Department helps to bring need to coordinate all actions concerning this political commitment and practical expertise issue in the municipal sphere. together. It has prioritised accessible public trans- port and personal mobility. For example, in addition The Accessibility Department became the Munic- to accessible vehicles and infrastructure, the city has ipal Office for Accessibility, with the job of focus- also guaranteed the continuation of an accessible ing on the needs of business owners and private taxi service by issuing a free licence for it. individuals. It produces analyses and technical reports relating to the level of accessibility of the The European judges were impressed by the strong city’s various establishments. evidence of engagement with people with disabil- ities at both local and national levels, for instance in Reflecting the importance the City Council gives the design of the ‘city for all programme’. to participation, consultation and evaluation, it has established the Municipal Council for the Disabled, Active public support for the employment of peo- where all the Ávila associations for people with dis- ple with disabilities has been demonstrated by the abilities are represented. award of grants for dedicated programmes. The city’s Department of Accessible and Social The work of disability organisations themselves Tourism, which was set up in 2007, is working to has also been supported through grants and the turn the city of Ávila into an accessible place for assignment of facilities. visitors. Its actions help promote, for example, the provision of restaurant menus in Braille, the loan ‘Our motivation to take part in the competition of wheelchairs, the organisation of guided visits was to show the solutions that Ávila had found to for the disabled, and accessible points for tourist improve accessibility and to give visibility of the 9 information. work that it had done in this field. All the projects we develop are based on a mainstreaming ap- Ávila presides over and holds the position of Sec- proach, and the actions that are launched by dif- retary of the Accessibility Commission of the World ferent municipal departments (social services, Heritage Cities Group in Spain, which was created tourism, heritage, urban, youth) are projected on 25 February 2008 in Ávila, at the behest of the from the viewpoint of universal design,’ said Noe- city’s Mayor. lia Cuenca, Ávila’s representative for accessibility. ‘This project symbolises the unity of all people Challenges and shows that with creativity, it is possible to allow all people to benefit from the goods and As an historic city in a mountainous region, Ávila services of a city.’ has had to overcome particular cultural and geo- graphical challenges to achieve good levels of The city is particularly proud of the adaptation of accessibility. In spite of the difficulties, the City parts of the city wall to make it accessible to all Council has set a clear and comprehensive long- persons. term policy for improving accessibility which is focused on both residents and visitors and encom- Accessibility on the web: passes cultural events, guided tours, restaurants http://www.avila.es/opencms/opencms/ and tourist information. AVIL/index.html http://www.avila.es/opencms/opencms/AVIL/ The city of Ávila was a pioneer in introducing the paginas/MENU/ORGA/SSSSAC/ACCE/ACCE.html analysis and diagnosis of accessibility in artistic and monumental heritage. This led to a series of recom- Contact for more information: mendations which helped guide city proprietors accesibilidad@ayuntavila.com through the different stages of the adaptation of their buildings. Ávila’s most recent refurbishment of the ancient city walls included points of access for people with reduced mobility.
  • 11. AC C E SS • C I T Y AWA R D | T H E E U R O P E A N AWA R D F O R A CC E S S I B L E C I T I E S European cities are engaging in accessibility measures Three highly commended runners-up 10 Barcelona, Spain – a pioneer in urban accessibility Barcelona, on the north east coast of Spain, is the Coordinating with disabilities groups country’s second largest city (population 1.5 mil- lion). For more than 30 years it has been actively In the late 1970s, the City Council created the engaged in implementing accessibility, beginning Municipal Institute for People with Disabilities (IMD). back in 1978 with its Plan for Autonomous Mobility. Its role is to keep the City Council and its various departments (especially urban planning, transport It has progressively implemented a ‘design for all’ and communication) in sync with the associations approach, with a strong focus on the built envi- of people with disabilities. The overriding aim is to ronment and transport facilities. work together to ensure that accessibility, equal opportunities and the integration of people with The Olympic Games in 1992 were an important disabilities are part of the political agenda. opportunity for the authorities to improve the physical accessibility of the city and to make it The IMD has a unique organisational structure with barrier free. an Executive Committee made up of 20 members: 10 representatives of the City Council and 10 rep- These principles were applied to the preparations resentatives of people with disabilities. for the Olympic Games themselves when, for the first time in history, the Olympic and Paralympic Since 1979 the city has carried out a variety of games shared the same facilities, housing and areas. projects ranging from improvements in housing, integration of people with disabilities in the labour Since then the city has striven to make it possible market, inclusion of people with disabilities in civic for everybody to enjoy an independent lifestyle activities, among others. by focusing extensively on accessibility, commu- nications, inclusive education, the labour market, The Access • City Award Judges put particular social services, and personalised systems. emphasis on Barcelona’s strong and long-standing
  • 12. M A K I N G E U R O P E ’ S U R B A N E N V I R O N M E N T A CC E S S I B L E F O R A L L commitment to accessibility following the princi- local authorities with the social movements of ples of universal design, and the involvement of people with disabilities,’ said a city spokesperson. people with disabilities at all stages of the design and delivery of accessibility improvements. Accessibility on the web: http://www.bcn.cat/en/ihome.htm ‘Following the extensive work we undertook for http://w3.bcn.cat/accessible/0,4022,290652867_ the Olympic games in 1992, we have worked very 291374213_3,00.html hard on accessibility communication, inclusive education, better social services, giving people Contact for more information: the right to choose and to personalise the sys- imd_informacio@bcn.cat tems. Importantly we have brought together the Cologne, Germany – creating a ‘city for all’ Cologne, in Germany, is a city of nearly one million The European Award Jury especially praised the inhabitants. It has shown a strong political com- city’s systematic approach towards accessibility, mitment to improving accessibility since 2004, based on the thorough application of consistent involving a wide range of city departments with standards. clear responsibilities and extensive coordination. Special training programmes for designers, as well An ambitious plan over the next 2-3 years further as other professionals employed by the city such illustrates the city’s commitment to accessibility. as building supervision employees, have been Measures encompass the development of stand- introduced to improve their understanding of ards, in particular a design handbook for accessible accessibility. buildings and construction, and a design handbook 11 for the city centre. The programme also includes the The City of Cologne is currently implementing establishment of a new Centre for Accessible Build- a global disability strategy, entitled ‘Cologne over- ings and the expansion of further education on comes barriers – a city for all’. Its main goals are: accessibility issues in order to develop personal tackling issues such as accessibility, equitable par- resources. Work will also be continued in the areas ticipation, encouragement of free decisions, and the of inclusive schools and youth work. human right of self-determination. The strategy encompasses 170 goals and measures for the city’s ‘We still have a lot to do on the way towards 12 municipal districts with clear plans and commit- accessibility and inclusion,’ said the city’s repre- ments for the monitoring of their implementation. sentative for accessibility, Marita Reinecke. ‘The EU’s Access • City Award has been a wonderful Since 2004, the city has operated an 80-strong opportunity to give these topics centre-stage and internal working committee on ‘Disability Policy’, ensure extended visibility across our districts as bringing together 32 municipal departments and a sign of quality. In Cologne we are very proud to all relevant civil society groups. The committee have been a finalist in the first Award. We see this decides on all relevant issues relating to disabil- Award especially as an incentive not to relax our ity and gives recommendations to administrative efforts and continue to work towards implement- bodies and policy-makers. Representatives of ing our ambitious action plan for those with disa- disability organisations are also to be found on bilities in Cologne.’ 11 committees of the City Council. Accessibility on the web: The city’s accessibility programme extends to http://www.stadt-koeln.de/ public spaces, streets, parks, playgrounds, etc. The http://www.stadt-koeln.de/2/menschen- transport infrastructure is being progressively mit-behinderung/ adapted in consultation with user groups to ret- rofit bus stops and railway stations. Municipal and Contact for more information: cultural buildings are also being refurbished to marita.reinecke@stadt-koeln.de meet agreed accessibility criteria.
  • 13. AC C E SS • C I T Y AWA R D | T H E E U R O P E A N AWA R D F O R A CC E S S I B L E C I T I E S Turku, Finland – accessibility even in challenging weather conditions Turku is a historic city on the south-west coast of ‘mission impossible’, given the nature of the old Finland. With a current population of 180 000, town and its buildings. The city authorities have Turku is a notable commercial and passenger sea- succeeded, however, in developing with the port, as well as being a regional capital. close involvement of people with disabilities an effective strategy for a small historical city such The city has been active in the field of accessibil- as Turku confronted with challenging conditions ity since the 1980s and has a coherent on-going for accessibility, particularly in the built environ- plan for further improvements. The accessibility ment. There are even plans for the city’s Castle to initiatives encompass public transport, the built be made more accessible. environment, personal mobility and cultural and historic venues. All bus routes in the city centre are served by accessible low-floor buses. Some routes stop near The city is in the process of implementing the the homes for the elderly on their way to and Accessibility Programme of Turku 2005-2012, which from the city centre. School transportation for demands that all the schemes and plans in the city children with disabilities is provided by so-called take the issue of accessibility into consideration. ‘inva taxis’ – special taxis boasting a lift and com- petent personnel to assist passengers. The aim of the Programme is to make Turku a sig- nificantly more accessible city by 2012, through Accessible beach its administration, mapping, development and renovations as well as construction work. Turku is proud of its accessibility ‘innovation’ in 12 creating the Ekvalla Accessible Beach. The beach Ancient buildings and harsh weather has been praised for its accessibility for people with reduced mobility, visual and hearing impair- Turku is a former capital of Finland which has ments. Among other features on the beach, is risen to the challenge of achieving accessibility a concrete ramp which runs right down to the without compromising its heritage. seashore and three different sound signals in dif- ferent places for the visually impaired. Transforming the 781 year old city to better serve people with disabilities was initially regarded as ‘So far, our main focus has been placed on the accessibility of pathways, buildings and services. Perhaps it is now time to put more focus on the development of aid instruments that people with disabilities need in their lives,’ said Heikki O. Hau- listo, Architect, Accessibility Representative of Turku City. ‘The Access • City Award proves that accessibility is considered fundamental in the goals shared by Europeans.’ Accessibility on the web: http://www.turku.fi/Public/default. aspx?culture=en-US&contentlan=2&nodeid=23 http://www.turku.fi/Public/default. aspx?contentid=52354 Contact for more information: heikki.haulisto@turku.fi Part of the accessible beach of Turku
  • 14. M A K I N G E U R O P E ’ S U R B A N E N V I R O N M E N T A CC E S S I B L E F O R A L L Accessible parking places Good practice across Europe 13 Some 30 European cities were nominated by On the basis of the European Jury’s assessment, the national juries to be chosen as the EU’s first the four examples below were identified to Access • City Award winner. The European Jury illustrate the good work done in each of the four established that ‘Every city nominated has given thematic areas of the competition. These cities good examples for Europe’. are from different geographical areas and have different cultural and historical backgrounds reflected in their characteristics. Barnsley, UK – extending the range of city services Barnsley is a metropolitan borough (population The Council believes that access to goods, serv- 226 000) in the Yorkshire and Humber region of ices and facilities is important to all people with England which particularly impressed the judges disabilities if they are to enjoy independence, for its initiatives in the area of services to people choice and equality. The borough has therefore with disabilities. been implementing a three year plan (ending March 2012) to provide a range of services to The borough is unique in the UK context in that people with disabilities that are located in places it has a much higher incidence of disability than that are easy to get to. the national average. One quarter of the popula- tion of Barnsley is disabled, with 13 % of the work- Involving people with disabilities ing age population claiming incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance, compared to The ‘Remaking Barnsley’ initiative, a comprehen- an average 7 % in England. sive programme for the transformation of the urban centre adopted in 2009, involves local peo- ple with disabilities at all stages in the design and
  • 15. AC C E SS • C I T Y AWA R D | T H E E U R O P E A N AWA R D F O R A CC E S S I B L E C I T I E S development of new buildings and public spaces public spaces. This provides even greater oppor- to ensure the highest possible standards of tunities to achieve Barnsley’s long-term ambition accessibility. to become ‘the most accessible market town in Britain’. The process has already delivered the new transport Interchange – formerly Barnsley Exchange Station Accessibility on the web: – a fully enclosed passenger environment that has http://www.barnsley.gov.uk/online greatly improved access for disabled people. http://www.barnsley.gov.uk/accessibility-preamble The next phase of Remaking Barnsley covers the Contact for more information: rebuilding of large parts of the town centre and julianhorsler@barnsley.gov.uk Dublin, Ireland – intelligent use of ICT Dublin City Council is currently putting into effect The key to the successful implementation of the a 2005-2015 Accessibility Implementation Plan city’s Plan is the integration of ongoing initiatives (AIP) for its 500 000-strong population. with other service providers, particularly in the area of transport, tourism and employment. The Plan makes great use of ICTs (information and communications technologies) to improve facil- Other city initiatives include Braille and tactile sig- ities and services for people with disabilities. nage; and library services, including eBooks, iBooks, Audio Books, home delivery, and Internet access. 14 A significant feature of the Plan is the city’s dedi- cated website: www.accessdublin.ie aims to In the area of public transportation, 2 600 bus provide people with disabilities with relevant stops now offer real-time information and audible information on access to the built environment, messages when entering the bus stop number in and gives them the opportunity to participate in a mobile phone. Bus stops offer a large print font decision-making through online consultation. and Braille to help identify the stop number. The website hosts an ‘Access Business Directory’ Accessibility on the web: providing information about the level of access http://www.dublincity.ie/Pages/welcome/ in over 1 000 venues, permitting users to choose mainpage.htm before leaving their homes which facilities and http://www.dublincity.ie/AccessibilityForum/ services best suit their needs. It also identifies default.aspx?g=landing accessible car parking spaces in Dublin and includes an online discussion forum, where peo- Contact for more information: ple with disabilities can consult directly with the tom.johnson@dublincity.ie Local Authority. Grenoble, France – an investment in transport infrastructure Grenoble in south-eastern France at the foot of the since the 1970s it has been a pioneer in the area Alps has a population of some 157 000 located on of transportation accessibility. a land area of just 1 900 hectares, making it one of the most densely-populated areas of the country. All of the tramway network (light rail) and 80 % of buses are now accessible to people with disabili- Since 1995, the city has been implementing ties and others with reduced mobility. The city is a policy to make the city accessible for all. Indeed, currently introducing its second generation of
  • 16. M A K I N G E U R O P E ’ S U R B A N E N V I R O N M E N T A CC E S S I B L E F O R A L L accessible tramway network, boasting raised plat- Its programme has already made the town cen- forms and automatic doors. tre 80 % accessible. Some 62 % of pavements are accessible, with the city having removed awk- By 2012 it expects to be the first municipality in ward steps on junctions and pedestrian crossings France to offer a fully accessible public transport and having added audible signals at traffic lights. network which has been adjusted for all types of In addition, 40 % of public buildings are now impairments (visual, hearing, physical, mental, accessible, with audio facilities provided at the etc.). The aim is to allow all people to be mobile Grenoble museum. Special facilities now make within the Grenoble agglomeration. some 40 % of the famous Bastille site accessible to those with disabilities. Facilities are also being improved and adapted for tourists with disabilities. Ski lifts have been Accessibility on the web: adapted to provide higher capacity with two-seat http://www.grenoble.fr/ lifts carrying 1 000 kg instead of 630 kg, which are http://www.grenoble.fr/141-handicap-et- interspersed to permit mixed usage. accessibilite.htm Contact for more information: herve.buissier@ville-grenoble.fr Malmö, Sweden – adapting the built environment for the future The city of Malmö in southern Sweden (popula- not only on crossings but also when accessing pub- 15 tion 300 000) has since 2008 been implementing lic transport. In 2010 the city also inaugurated a golf an Accessibility Programme heavily focused on course providing total access. improving the built environment – in particular streets and parks – for people with disabilities. Most of the city’s 1 100 bus stops have been mod- ified with seating areas and protection for people The city’s objective is that all public spaces, new with disabilities. All leisure facilities, cultural build- and old, should have an integrated access plan ings, and the city’s 10 libraries have been inspected allowing for everyone to have an equal access and adjusted for people with hearing, visual or and use of the public space. This is linked to all other physical disabilities. In addition, all schools, renovation work or construction of new spaces from pre-schools to high schools, are currently and buildings. being inspected. The work includes elevators in buildings, entrances The city has published an accessibility guide that to buildings, and indicators on pavements, for peo- gives an easy overview to access in public build- ple with visual impairments. Pavements will have ings, culture, hotels, restaurants, banks, leisure, as walking direction indicators to make it easier to well as healthcare and medical facilities. follow the right path, while buildings will have indicators for access regardless of disability type. Accessibility on the web: Parking places are allocated and specifically http://www.malmo.se/ designed in the city. Street crossings will have sound and light indicators to assist disabled people Contact for more information: when crossing. Pavements are all being lowered, katarina.lindberg@malmo.se For more information on the Access • City Award and application guidelines for the annual competition, please visit http://accesscityaward.eu/
  • 17. European Commission ACCESS•CITY The European Award for Accessible Cities Making Europe’s urban environment accessible for all Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union 2011 — 16 pp. — 25.0 × 17.6 cm ISBN 978-92-79-19711-6 doi:10.2838/34235 HOW TO OBTAIN EU PUBLICATIONS Free publications: • via EU Bookshop (http://bookshop.europa.eu); • at the European Commission’s representations or delegations. You can obtain their contact details on the Internet (http://ec.europa.eu) or by sending a fax to +352 2929-42758. Priced publications: • via EU Bookshop (http://bookshop.europa.eu); Priced subscriptions (e.g. annual series of the Official Journal of the European Union and reports of cases before the Court of Justice of the European Union): • via one of the sales agents of the Publications Office of the European Union (http://publications.europa.eu/others/agents/index_en.htm).
  • 18. DS-32-11-693-EN-C T H E A C C E S S • C I T Y AWA R D is an annual competition for European cities, organised by the European Commission to promote accessibility in the urban environment for people with disabilities. For updated information please visit http://accesscityaward.eu/