The City Council of La Laguna, through the Department of Social Welfare and Quality of Life, will invest the 150,000 euros of the Access City Award from the European Commission in different accessibility improvements for public facilities that provide some type of service in the municipality.
The mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, remarked that “this international recognition is an incentive for us to continue improving our services to social groups, especially people with some type of disability who wish to enjoy our streets and events without barriers. , no limits.”
The Lagunera Councilor for Social Welfare, María Cruz, recalled that “this award in terms of universal accessibility and disability is the result of joint work between the local Administration and social entities” and advanced that, among the planned actions, there are new ramps access, elevator and other services focused on this sector of the population. In addition, the councilor opted to promote the Care Plan for People with Disabilities, as one of the main challenges of the Consistory in the short term.
The European Commission and the European Disability Forum awarded the first prize of the Access City Award to La Laguna in Brussels, ahead of European cities such as Lódz (Poland), Saint-Quentin (France), South Dublin County (Ireland) and Tübingen (Germany). Among the reasons taken into account by the jury is the work carried out for years in eliminating barriers and adapting infrastructure, public spaces and cultural events, facilities, street furniture and services to all citizens, without exception.
In the near future, the Department of Social Welfare and Quality of Life of La Laguna will hold a meeting with groups in the sector to analyze these possible improvements and collect new proposals that can be covered with the money corresponding to this award.
