Wednesday 11 September is D-Day for cities across Europe to submit their online entries for the Access City Award 2020, and the winners will be announced at the Access City Award ceremony in Brussels on 29 November, during the European Day of Persons with Disabilities Conference.
The Access City Award recognises and celebrates a city’s willingness, ability and efforts to become more accessible, in order to guarantee equal access to fundamental rights, and improve the quality of life of its population and ensure that everybody – regardless of age, mobility or ability – has equal access to all the resources and pleasures cities have to offer.
The Access City Award is organised by the European Commission together with the European Disability Forum.The European Commission will award monetary prizes to the winner and the two runners-up as follows: 1st prize: €150,000; 2nd prize €120,000 and 3rd prize €80,000.
Cities across the EU with over 50,000 inhabitants are eligible to apply for the Access City Award (ACA), but it cannot be won by the same city in two consecutive years. The European Commission has issued a guidance note for applicants and participation rules are available in all official EU languages on the ACA website.
By 2020, the EU is expected to have 120 million people with disabilities, and the population is becoming older. Additionally, Europe is now essentially an urban society, with four out of five EU citizens living in towns and cities.
Winners of the previous awards: 2011, Avila (Spain); 2012, Salzburg (Austria); 2013, Berlin (Germany); 2014, Gothenburg (Sweden); 2015, Boras (Sweden); 2016, Milan (Italy); 2017, Chester (UK); 2018 and Lyon (France); 2019, Breda (the Netherlands).
For registration details email secretariat@accesscityaward.eu.