The European Comission this Friday awarded the Tenerife city of San Cristóbal de The lagoon with the ‘Accessible City Award 2024‘ for their dedication to improving the quality of life of people with disabilities.
According to the community Executive, the municipality has prioritized the accessibility of people with disabilities in urban spaces, transportation systems and social activities.
Specifically, it stands out that all vehicles and stations on the city’s tram network are fully accessible, while the city center has acoustic traffic lights and tactile pavement to guide people with visual disabilities.
The European Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, presented the award at the annual conference of the ‘European Day of People with Disabilities’, while her counterpart for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, awarded the special mention to the city of Tübingen. (Germany) for its accessible urban development and for being aligned with the New European Bauhaus.
In 2021, La Laguna launched the ‘Punto Naranja’, a mobile space with resources to help organize inclusive and accessible events that provides sign language interpreters, anti-noise systems and trained staff, as well as easy-to-read materials.
The city’s commitment to accessibility is also exemplified by several other initiatives, including a Disability Council and an Ombudsman for people with disabilities.
The Disability Council directly involves people with disabilities in decision-making, while the Ombudsman provides independent advice to the City Council, coordinating and promoting the city’s accessibility initiatives.
The city of Lódz (Poland) came in second place for implementing comprehensive guidelines to ensure accessibility standards for all municipal investments, and the city of Saint-Quentin (France) came in third place for improving the accessibility of the public transport network .
County Dublin South (Ireland) also received a special mention for landscape and play areas, recognizing its commitment to accessible play areas.
