Gothenburg wins the Access City Award 2014
Gothenburg is the winner of the Access City Award 2014 for its outstanding work towards increasing accessibility for disabled people and the elderly. The Access City Award aims to encourage cities with at least 50,000 inhabitants to improve accessibility for all citizens. The 2014 Award is organized by the European Commission together with the European Disability Forum and is presented in Brussels during the event ''Accessible Tourism in Europe'' on the occasion of the annual European Day of People with Disabilities and the European Tourism Day.
As Vice-President Viviane Reding, the EU's Justice Commissioner stated: ''A city for everyone!' – this is Gothenburg's slogan. Having won this year's Access City Award goes to show that for Gothenburg this is more than just a slogan. The city's inclusive approach of integrating people with all disabilities into society has helped Gothenburg becoming this year's winner. People with disabilities still face too many barriers in everyday life, but cities like Gothenburg are leading the way in making life more accessible for all. Congratulations to Gothenburg."
Gothenburg has to showcase remarkable achievements that aim at increasing accessibility to transport, housing, work and employment for people with disabilities. Accessible homes are first available to people with disabilities, some 300 workplaces are being equipped with personal aids each year and the city is also working on improving public facilities, such as amusement parks, playgrounds and the local university in order to become more accessible.
Other prizes and special mentions
The second prize of the Access City Award went to Grenoble, France and the third to Poznan, Poland for having exhibited remarkable progress in terms of accessibility to transport, education, accommodation, shopping, culture, sports, tourism and employment.
Also special mentions were awarded to cities that have been pioneers in achieving accessibility: Belfast, UK, for 'Built Environment and Public Spaces'; Dresden, Germany, for 'Information and Communication Technologies'; Burgos, Spain, for Public Services and Facilities; and Malaga, Spain for Transport and related infrastructures.
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