The Access City Award sets out to showcase and reward cities with over 50,000 inhabitants which take exemplary initiatives to improve accessibility in the urban environment.
In the context of a steadily ageing population living in European cities and its correlation with disabilities, accessibility has important social and economic benefits.

This initiative is organized in partnership with the European Disability Forum.

The award is given to the city that:

• has demonstrably improved accessibility in fundamental aspects of city living:
  – the built environment and public spaces;
  – transport and related infrastructure;
  – information and communication, including Information and Communication Technologies (ICT);
  – public facilities and services.
• is committed to continued improvements in accessibility in a sustainable way;
• can act as a role model and encourage the adoption of best practices in all other European cities.

The application phase for the Access City Award 2012 closed on 20 September 2011 with 114 cities from 23 EU member states joining the competition.

After a pre-selection at national level, a European Jury composed of experts in accessibility and representatives of the European Commission, the European Disability Forum and the Age Platform Europe selected one overall winner, three finalist “runners-up” and four special mentions.

On 1 December 2011 the Austrian city Salzburg was proclaimed as the winner of the Access City Award 2012. The Award Ceremony took place in Brussels during the European Day of Persons with Disabilities Conference in the presence of Vice-President of the European Commission Viviane Reding and President of the European Disability Forum Yannis Vardakastanis.

The three finalist “runners-up” are (in alphabetical order):

– Kraków (Poland)
– Marburg (Germany)
– Santander (Spain)

The European Jury also decided to attribute special mentions in each of the four key areas of accessibility. These went to:

– Terrassa (Spain) for the built environment and public spaces
– Ljubljana (Slovenia) for transport and related infrastructures
– Olomouc (Czech Republic) for information and communication, including new technologies
– Grenoble (France) for public facilities and services

For more information: www.accesscityaward.eu