Lyon – Photo by Micka13
(BRUSSELS) – On the European Day for People with Disabilities, the French city of Lyon was awarded the 2018 Access City Award for its inclusive and universal accessibility. the EU Commission announced on Tuesday.
The Access City Award recognises cities that are leading lights in overcoming barriers across Europe today. The Award is given to the city that has clearly and sustainably improved accessibility in fundamental aspects of city living, and that has concrete plans for further improvements.
“This Commission is fully committed to putting people first and making social inclusion a top priority on the political agenda,” said Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility: “Making our cities and societies more accessible for people with disabilities is therefore a must. I thank Lyon, and all the other cities who have participated in this competition, for their efforts to make that happen. I hope the achievements of these cities can be an inspiration for many other cities, but also for all regional and national authorities.”
Lyon’s public buses are 100% accessible, and access to culture for all is also ensured, thanks to the inclusion of accessible equipment in libraries, such as reading machines, audiobook readers and magnifying screens. The city has also developed digital tools for people with disabilities, and in terms of work integration, 7.8% of civil servants are people with a disability. This is significantly higher than the legal minimum quota of 6% required by the French legislation.
The European Commission also rewarded the city of Ljubljana, Slovenia, and the city of Luxembourg, Luxembourg,with a second and third place respectively.Ljubljana integrated accessibility in its overall policy, appointing a special advisory committee with elderly and people with disabilities on board so that they are directly involved in the city’s policymaking. The city of Luxembourg has put a lot of effort into raising awareness among citizens to avoid stigma in relation to disability and building a highly inclusive city in which everyone feels comfortable.
Finally, the city of Viborg in Denmark has received a special mention for reconciling its historical heritage and hilly landscape with an accessible infrastructure.
The Access City Award, organised by the Commission together with the European Disability Forum, is one of the actions foreseen in the EU Disability Strategy 2010-2020 aiming to create a barrier-free Europe for people with disabilities.
The Access City Award is addressed to European cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants. Cities are expected to demonstrate a comprehensive approach to accessibility across the four key areas: built environment and public spaces; transportation and related infrastructure; information and communication including new technologies (ICT); public facilities and services.
