50 European cities competed this year to receive the 2021 Access City Award, given each year by the European Commission but at the end there was one clear winner – the Swedish city of Jönköping. This municipality was chosen for the breadth of its inclusive work and strength of collaboration with non-governmental organizations and residents associations in implementing the best solutions that would guarantee accessibility to all everywhere, regardless of age and physical ability.
European population is progressively getting older, so access is not a marginal concern
The European Commission has reported that 120 million people in the EU live with some form of disability. This may seem like an unexpectedly huge number but if we take into account the growing average age of the continental population it may not seem that surprising. Add to this the reality that European society is also increasingly urbanized and it becomes clear that accessibility should be much more than some ‘by-the-way’ policy addition but a standard concern for all administrations which are serious about the well-being of their residents.
The Access City Award was designed with the idea of shining the light on the cities that could serve as positive role models for others to follow. This year, at an online ceremony on 1 December, it was decided that Jönköping was that kind of place.
“For many years, we, as a municipality, have built up a close collaboration with civil society and pensioners and functional rights organizations to create an accessible society for all. We have also seen how important it is that our officials in the administrations have a dialogue with organizations and our residents at an early stage when we plan and build our city,” said Mona Forsberg, a municipal councillor (s).
Collaboration has also extended in the private sector, where a local version of the Access Award has been launched, with the aim of distinguishing businesses, which have worked with their customers to improve accessibility to their premises. Among the other laudable initiatives that have been implemented are the provision of access to a boggy natural area and the Normstorm photo project, which involves students talking about society’s prevailing norms.
Source: TheMayor.EU
