Winners of the Access City Award 2026 - Best accessibility practices

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The winners of the Access City Award 2026 (Easy-to-read)

1st prize - Zaragoza, Spain

723 063 inhabitants

With 723 063 inhabitants, Zaragoza is the capital of Aragon and Spain’s fourth-largest city. Its rich history and heritage bring accessibility challenges of narrow streets and older infrastructure. Zaragoza has responded with an ambitious, city-wide approach that treats accessibility as a fundamental right and a core principle of urban governance – for residents and visitors alike.

This recognition belongs to the whole city. It belongs to the people who remove barriers in our streets and buildings, to those who design inclusive services, and especially to the organisations representing persons with disabilities, who remind us every day that accessibility is not a technical detail, but a matter of rights and dignity. An accessible city is, above all, a city that cares. And that will always be our guiding principle.

Natalia Chueca, Mayor of Zaragoza

Strong governance, embedded across the municipality

Zaragoza’s governance structure reflects a strong and sustained political commitment to accessibility. The Zaragoza’s Municipal Accessibility Ordinance provides a legal backbone that guarantees compliance with European accessibility standards. The Strategic Plan for Universal Accessibility 2025–2030 is closely aligned with the UNCRPD, and embeds long-term objectives, clear budget and monitoring mechanisms. External audits, technical benchmarks and ISO standards are used to measure progress and maintain quality. A dedicated Accessibility Office coordinates implementation and monitoring across departments.

The Accessibility Board, created in 2023, ensures structured participation and co-creation with representative organisations of persons with disabilities, older persons and technical experts. The city’s approach to cost–benefit analysis demonstrate a high level of strategic vision and accountability. Moreover, the Zaragoza provides awareness-raising initiatives and training programmes, for municipal staff.

Mobility you can rely on – from tram to street crossing

Public transport accessibility is delivered consistently across Zaragoza. The tram network is fully accessible, including all 46 tram stops. The whole bus fleet (350 vehicles) and bus stops follow universal design standards, including step-free boarding and accessible ticketing. NaviLens technology supports wayfinding and access to information for blind and partially sighted passengers.

The city has also improved the pedestrian environment. More than 80% of pedestrian crossings are accessible and include tactile paving and audible traffic lights, and Zaragoza is introducing smart pedestrian crossings to enhance safety. Door-to-door travel is supported through accessible taxis, with pictograms to assist communication of persons with intellectual disabilities. Zaragoza has expanded reserved parking and offers a digital tool to help users locate these spaces.

Public spaces and services designed for everyday life

Zaragoza has taken accessibility into account for the desing of a wide range of public spaces and services, including  playgrounds, sports facilities, cultural venues and leisure infrastructure. It is also addressing personal-care barriers by introducing a changing facility (with equipment such as a hoist and adult-sized changing bench) and providing bathrooms adapted for ostomy care.

Accessible services strengthen independent living. A 24-hour telecare service provides around 4 100 devices, and home-based support has expanded, with a 50% increase in budget. Accessibility is also considered in services for children and families, including inclusive childcare and early childhood education.

Digital access that works for everyone

Zaragoza pairs physical access with accessible communication. Municipal websites and applications are externally certified for accessibility, supported by easy-to-read formats and assistive tools such as text-to-speech. The city also uses pictograms and other accessible formats in frontline services, helping residents and visitors navigate information more easily.

Housing that supports inclusion and sustainability

Accessible housing is a flagship area of Zaragoza’s work. By following the EU Renovation Wave, the city links accessibility improvements with energy renovation in residential buildings. In 2024–2025, more than €14 million has been allocated to these combined measures in residential buildings, supporting interventions such as step-free entrances and lift installation so that residents can remain in their homes and neighbourhoods. Thousands of residents benefit from municipal grants supporting housing renovation including accessibility improvements.

The Flumen project and wider housing programmes exemplifies Zaragoza’s innovative approach to inclusive living. Co-designed with disability organisations, this inter-collaborative housing model provides accessible, affordable homes where persons with disabilities live alongside other citizens, promoting independent living and participation in the community.

Participation and partnerships that extend impact

Zaragoza demonstrated exemplary involvement of persons with disabilities and their representative organisations in the planning, implementation and monitoring of accessibility policies. The Accessibility Board ensures structured and continuous participation at the highest level, while disability organisations play a central role in designing and evaluating accessibility initiatives. This participatory model extends to housing projects, where organisations collaborate in the co-design and management of adapted housing solutions. Zaragoza also works with businesses and local communities through initiatives such as the Friendly Shops Network and the Friendly Banks initiative, extending accessibility into everyday services. Together, these partnerships help embed accessibility and inclusion for persons with disabilities across urban life and support continuous improvement.

2nd prize - Valencia, Spain

844 424 inhabitants

Valencia (844 424 inhabitants) is a Mediterranean city with more than 2 000 years of history and one of Europe’s largest historic centres. This rich urban fabric can create barriers, but Valencia has made accessibility a mainstream priority, combining clear political leadership with practical, data-informed delivery and continuous involvement of persons with disabilities.

In Valencia, we work constantly to remove barriers that limit the full participation of persons with disabilities. We do this by building consensus across political, community and social stakeholders. Our aim is to foster coexistence, because inclusion is increasingly becoming a reality. Our motto is to normalise diversity: to accept it as a fundamental part of community life and a cornerstone of social well-being. This requires not just the participation of public institutions, but also public-private cooperation and the direct action of disability organisations.

Francisco Javier Copoví Carrión, Director-General of Persons with Disabilities, Valencia

Leadership from the top – and delivery on the ground

Accessibility is coordinated under the Mayor’s Office through a dedicated Directorate-General for Disability, led by a person with a disability. Six municipal accessibility offices provide specialised support (including for physical, sensory and cognitive accessibility). Meanwhile a Disability Rights Ombudsperson helps ensure continuity, accountability and effective case handling. Delivery follows a cycle of barrier diagnosis, tailored solution design, staff training and ongoing evaluation.

Participation is structured and ongoing. A Municipal Council brings together more than 50 representative entities, complemented by wider consultation and partnerships with civil society and the private sector. Valencia also uses cost–benefit analysis to explain investments and build broad public support for universal design.

A city designed for independent travel

Valencia reports 96% urban accessibility, reflecting systematic work on streets, crossings and public space. Public transport is a particular strength: the bus and metro networks are fully accessible, supported by tactile paving at more than 700 bus stops and the use of NaviLens to improve independent travel for persons with visual impairments. Where additional support is needed, the city provides a door-to-door transport service for highly dependent users.

Accessibility is also integrated into public spaces that encourage everyday participation. Measures include inclusive parks, autism-friendly points at Gulliver Park, and accessible beaches with walkways and adapted facilities, including inclusive changing rooms.

Accessible information and inclusive technologies

Valencia pairs physical access with accessible information. The city’s ‘inclusive QR’ approach provides content for major events and cultural sites in multiple formats, such as sign language, easy-to-read versions, pictograms and accessible PDFs. In mobility, Valencia uses responsible artificial intelligence to support the location of accessible parking spaces, helping reduce uncertainty for drivers and passengers. Municipal digital services are audited to maintain accessibility and improve user experience over time.

Inclusion through employment, housing and services

Valencia improves accessibility through employment and lived-experience testing. It employs persons with disabilities as ‘accessibility validators’ to assess public spaces, digital tools and services before launch, and it reports more than 60 civil servants with intellectual disabilities in the administration. The city also provides mediation and tailored support for civil servants with intellectual disabilities, helping create inclusive workplaces and setting an example for employers.

In housing, universal design is embedded in new developments such as Turianova, coordinated with the municipal housing agency to keep homes accessible and affordable. Inclusion is further supported through community services, including occupational and day centres and a municipal residence for persons with intellectual disabilities. The city also promotes inclusive education through programmes in 11 municipal nurseries and three primary schools, helping strengthen participation from early childhood.

3rd prize - Rennes, France

225 081 inhabitants

Rennes (225 081 inhabitants), the capital of Brittany, is embedding accessibility in everyday life – from public transport and streets to information, culture and municipal services. A roadmap to 2027 and regular user involvement support steady progress for persons with disabilities.

The City of Rennes has taken determined action in the field of disability to build an accessible city. This approach is based on a method of systematic consultation with disability advocates and stakeholders. These partners provide valuable user expertise, ensuring that the diversity of all disabilities is taken into account. This benefits everyone: beyond persons with disabilities, it improves the daily lives of seniors, parents with strollers, children, and those with limited proficiency in French. By recognising the rightful place of every citizen, Rennes reaffirms its vision of a unified and supportive city.

Benoit Edeline, Disability Project Manager, Mission Handicap Citoyenneté

Travelling with confidence – network access plus tailored support

Rennes’ metro and bus networks are accessible and improved by services and tools that support independent travel. STARmeguide provides personalised assistance (292 assisted journeys in 2024). Handistar offers a dedicated service for passengers with reduced mobility. Handimap suggests step-free routes and is widely used, with around 40 000 connections per day. The city also runs small-group sessions to help new users get to know the network.

A clear roadmap to 2027 – upgrading streets and public buildings

Rennes is improving the built environment through its Programmed Accessibility Agenda (Ad’AP), which aims to bring public-reception establishments into compliance by 2027. The city reports that 68% of municipal sites are accessible (294 of 458). In 2025, it allocated €2 million to roads and public spaces and €1 million to public buildings, supporting works such as widened pavements, tactile surfaces and safer crossings.

All 83 public toilets are accessible and listed via an online application. Renovations at the Jeu de Paume and the European Higher School of Art of Brittany show how Rennes tackles complex sites, with features such as ramps, lifts, adapted washrooms and high-contrast stair nosing.

Accessible information and communication

Rennes pairs physical access with accessible information. Its municipal website underwent an accessibility review in 2025, council meetings are subtitled, and key materials are produced in easy-to-read formats. A rights-free pictogram library supports consistent, accessible communication and wayfinding.

Inclusive services, culture and sport

Accessibility is reflected in municipal services, including specialised health pathways and a hearing disability care unit. For children, accessible leisure centres are supported by trained activity leaders, with 203 children with disabilities and 209 children with special needs supported in extra-curricular activities.

Rennes opens cultural participation through sign-language mediation and initiatives such as live audio description and the ‘museum prescription’, which enables access to cultural venues on medical recommendation. To strengthen quality, the city aimed for 49 accessibility officers in cultural facilities by 2025.

Co-creation and upkeep – keeping accessibility on track

Governance is structured through the Intercommunal and Municipal Accessibility Commissions, an inter-service Accessibility Working Group and the Mobility Council, with input from partners such as Collectif Handicap 35 and the seniors’ citizens’ group. Residents can report barriers via an app; a dedicated upkeep department coordinates corrective action and tracks progress against the Ad’AP. Rennes also invests in staff capability: about 8% of municipal staff are persons with disabilities (2025), and a ‘Disability and transport’ course delivered with Keolis trained 78 employees by 2023.

Special Mention for Accessibility in Housing - Salzburg, Austria

544,414 inhabitants

Set against a UNESCO-listed historic backdrop, Salzburg is making accessibility in housing a practical standard rather than an exception. The city received a Special Mention for Accessibility in Housing for a structural approach that embeds universal design in both new social housing and renovation projects, supporting independent living for persons with disabilities.

In a city like Salzburg, which is vibrant, growing and ageing, accessibility is a sign of responsible and sustainable urban development. What we plan inclusively today will make our city fairer, safer, and more livable tomorrow. The Access City Award is not an endpoint, but a mandate. A mandate to consistently continue on the path we have chosen, to remove barriers, and to make Salzburg accessible to everyone, step by step. Because an accessible city is a strong city – humane, social, and future-oriented.

Andrea Brandner, City Councillor for Social Affairs

Making accessibility the default in social housing and renovations

Salzburg requires all new social housing developments to be fully accessible and places particular emphasis on accessibility in renovation projects. This helps ensure that accessible homes are available not only in new-build pipelines, but also within the existing housing stock – where barriers such as steps at entrances, narrow circulation spaces or inaccessible bathrooms often prevent people from living safely and independently.

Free, practical advice for residents and professionals

A key pillar is the city’s free advisory service for accessible planning and housing. It is open to any resident wishing to plan a new home or adapt an existing one, as well as to associations, planners and architects, construction companies and relevant municipal departments. By offering early-stage guidance – including planning and construction advice aligned with Austrian standards for barrier-free construction – Salzburg supports solutions that work in practice and reduces the risk of costly retrofits later.

Fair access through tailored allocation rules and user involvement

Housing allocation guidelines are adapted to reflect the needs of persons with disabilities, including priority access to accessible dwellings in urgent situations (for example, following an accident). This links technical accessibility with real-life pathways into appropriate housing.

Delivery is anchored in a staged plan of action for the rights of persons with disabilities, which is being evaluated and further developed. The Disability Advisory Council supports implementation by advising on accessible construction measures and advocating with the Salzburg Provincial Government to secure funding for accessibility measures and new buildings. Together, these elements – standards in social housing, renovation priorities, free expert advice and tailored allocation – make accessible housing a reliable route to independent living in Salzburg.

Special Mention for Accessibility in Emergency Preparedness - Valencia city, Spain

844 424 inhabitants

Valencia received a Special Mention for embedding accessibility in emergency planning – from protocol design and staff training to accessible alerts and real-time support for persons with disabilities.

Persons with disabilities can be especially vulnerable when disaster strikes. They may find it difficult to move to safe places to take shelter, and may be overlooked during the distribution of emergency aid. Our Inclusive Territorial Municipal Emergency Plan not only seeks to respond to situations of serious collective risk, catastrophes or public calamities, but also incorporates a universal accessibility approach to ensure that persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups receive priority, safe and equitable attention.

Francisco Javier Copoví Carrión, Director-General of Persons with Disabilities, Valencia

Co-designing preparedness with the community

Emergency preparedness is developed through structured cooperation with civil society. A Municipal Council bringing together 50+ organisations contributes to the co-design of emergency protocols and drills, helping ensure that procedures reflect lived experience and work across disability types.

Accessible alerts and direct communication channels

Valencia’s Inclusive Emergency Alert System delivers warnings and guidance in formats designed for broad accessibility, including sign language, easy-to-read content and pictograms, alongside augmentative and alternative communication options. The city also uses a system to enable direct SMS communication with the local police, supporting faster and more reliable contact during incidents.

Training and data that strengthen readiness

Preparedness is improved through targeted training for first responders and staff – including specialised training for firefighters on disability assistance, as well as protocols for municipal staff. A civil-protection database supports faster identification of residents who may need priority assistance, with data matching intended to locate addresses for up to 85% of registered vulnerable residents.

Valencia backs this work with dedicated resources (accessibility and inclusion allocations exceeding €10 million in 2025) and routine verification. ‘Accessibility validators’ – including staff with intellectual disabilities – test solutions and support continuous improvement before systems are relied on in real conditions. Valencia also strengthens its approach through EU projects such as LEAD-PRO and KOBAN, which support enhanced emergency management.