Borås (Sweden), Cartagena (Spain), Nuremberg (Germany) and Vienna (Austria), have been selected as finalists for the 2025 Access City Award. These cities have demonstrated best practices and highlighted their commitment to ensure accessibility to urban life for persons with disabilities, including for built environment and public spaces, public transport, facilities and services, as well as information and communication technologies.
European Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, said: “Cities must be accessible for persons with disabilities to exercise their fundamental rights and fully participate in society. The European Commission is committed to supporting pioneer cities that truly leave no one behind, because accessibility is a cornerstone of inclusion, it’s essential for more than 100 million EU citizens with disabilities and improves life for all.”
This year is particularly important as it marks the 15th anniversary of the Access City Award. This edition has also received the highest number of applications in the last decade: 57 cities applied for the award of which 33 candidates were pre-selected by national experts. The four finalists were then shortlisted by an EU jury. Following the spirit of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Commission will award this year a Special Mention for “Accessible Sports Infrastructure”.
The 2025 Access City Award winners will be announced at an award ceremony on 29 November 2024 during the European Day of Persons with Disabilities conference.
