Commission launches registrations to the 2024 Access City Award rewarding accessibility in EU cities

Applications are now open for the 2024 Access City Award competition. The award honours cities that have gone above and beyond to become more accessible for persons with disabilities and are committed to continuously improve. This year, the European Commission will also award a ‘New European Bauhaus‘ special mention to a city whose efforts on accessibility are aligned with the values of the New European Bauhaus: sustainability, aesthetics, and inclusiveness.

Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, said: “A lack of accessibility makes everyday activities such as getting on a bus or searching for information on the internet difficult or even impossible for more than 87 million persons with disabilities in Europe. Society is changing rapidly, and cities are investing in digital and green transitions, creating more accessible places. With the EU Access City Award, we reward these efforts and make them more visible.”

The competition is organised by the European Commission in partnership with the European Disability Forum. It is open to cities with over 50,000 inhabitants in the EU. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners of the 2024 Access City Award will receive prizes of €150,000, €120,000 and €80,000 respectively.

The winners will be announced at the award ceremony at the European Day of Persons with Disabilities conference on 30 November and 1 December 2023. Examples of best practices by the 2023 winner and finalists can be found in the 2023 Access City Award brochure. The deadline for applications is 18 September 2023 at 12:00 CEST and all applications should be made via the 2024 Access City Award webpage.

(For more information:  Christian Wigand – Tel.: +32 2 296 22 53; Marajke Slomka – Tel.:  +32 2 298 26 13)